


Fódlan Alternative Cindered Shadows

by digitaldreams



Series: Fódlan Alternative: Times of Turmoil [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fódlan (Fire Emblem), Fódlan Alternative, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Not Beta Read, Officers Academy, but there's ten more this time, enter your character, slots are closed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22775182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaldreams/pseuds/digitaldreams
Summary: While wandering around the monastery late one night, You encounter an odd shadow that runs underground. You, the house leaders, and a few other students go to investigate what is going on, and You find Abyss. Once there, You meet the Ashen Wolves, students of a hidden house below the monastery. You decide to fight with them to accomplish their goals, wanting to know more about what lies beneath the surface...
Series: Fódlan Alternative: Times of Turmoil [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1473530
Kudos: 9





	1. Character Teasers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the submitted characters.

**The Ashen Wolves**

The Ashen Wolves House is found underground in the hidden territory of Abyss. It contains outcasts from all over countless countries who shun the light of day or otherwise hide from the dwellers of the surface. Its house leader is a defender of the land.

Meet the Students:

House Leader: Eli Disnor Nhylise  
Age: 18  
Birthday: March 19  
Sexuality: Pansexual  
Crest: Major Crest of Runo  
Creator: rainebow  
Eli is the leader of the Ashen Wolves and a powerful warrior from the country of Sreng. He is friendly and open, drawing others in with his quiet acts of kindness. Eli despises discrimination above all else and is sympathetic with others almost to a fault, allowing him to easily be overwhelmed by his own compassion.

Student: Ernst Mercer  
Age: 19  
Birthday: February 27  
Sexuality: Heterosexual  
Crest: Major Crest of Ethrend  
Creator: Pokeformer  
Ernst hails from the desert nation of Morfis and grew up learning all there is to know about magic. He is a kind young man with a good head on his shoulders, though he can get carried away by his research into magic at times. Ernst has a nasty habit of neglecting self-care to find the answers he seeks regardless of the consequences.

Student: Grey von Darc  
Age: 19  
Birthday: May 7  
Sexuality: Heterosexual  
Crest: Major Crest of Xiamen  
Creator: ShadowRyuga  
Grey was born to a noble house that fell when he was young. He possesses a Crest thought to have been lost to history, which eventually drove him into hiding in Abyss. He is blunt and somewhat harsh, but he does have good intentions. He struggles with displaying emotion, leaving many to believe he is far crueler than he really is.

Student: Saias Castelle  
Age: 17  
Birthday: July 17  
Sexuality: Pansexual  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: GuyWhoDoesThings  
Saias was a gladiator fighting in illegal tournaments prior to his arrival in Abyss. He remains somewhat isolated from the world as he tries to heal his wounds of the past. He is kind and caring, though he can resort to lying to keep from talking about his past, though it rarely goes well in his acts of verbal clumsiness.

Student: Magnus Viggo af Dellinger  
Age: 20  
Birthday: November 10  
Sexuality: Homosexual  
Crest: Major Crest of Camore  
Creator: Necromagus  
Magnus is an egotistical, spiteful young man with a fondness for books and research. He holds an immense interest in magic, almost to an obsessive degree. He despises power-hungry people above all else, and he can come off as uncaring and harsh to many due to his uncensored opinions.

Student: Taiyin Yuè  
Age: 17  
Birthday: July 20  
Sexuality: Bisexual  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: HeyItsLennka  
Taiyin is sweet and positive, being protective of others she cares about. She can easily become stressed, which leads her down a self-destructive path of panic. Taiyin will do what she has to in order to make others happy, but this can drive her to unhealthy lengths when she gets overly fired up.

Student: Gabriel Mayer  
Age: 18  
Birthday: October 2  
Sexuality: Heterosexual  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: EpicFireGabriel  
Gabriel spent his whole life in Abyss, hiding from an unknown danger lurking on higher ground. He's a kind and supportive person, though he struggles to reach out to others due to his inability to properly show his emotions through words. He is known to have an awkward streak that only hampers his self-expression issues.

Advisor: Quinn Tahan  
Age: 20  
Birthday: January 14  
Sexuality: Demisexual Biromantic  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: pokemage343  
Quinn is a motherly figure among the Ashen Wolves, caring deeply for them all and being immensely protective. Her loyalty and determination cannot be questioned. She seems intense at first, and her dedication can be intimidating, but her radiant kindness outshines any worries others have regarding her.

Professor: Ansel von Veretie  
Age: 26  
Birthday: June 19  
Sexuality: Demisexual  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: my meat  
Ansel is the unorthodox teacher of the Ashen Wolves. They attempt to convince everyone that they have a firm understanding of everything they encounter despite this being far from true, leading to many instances where Ansel lies to try and escape suspicion. They have an intelligent and confident persona, but beneath this lies a sweet, genuine soul.

Abyssian: Tsubasa  
Age: 17  
Birthday: July 24  
Sexuality: Lesbian  
Crest: N/A  
Creator: Toruhiiyi  
Tsubasa is a former thief who moved to Abyss to escape the trials of the continent. She is stoic and quiet, keeping her distance from many people. Despite having a strong sense of justice, few would be aware of such due to the consistent passive mask she displays. Tsubasa is incredible with acting, able to hide most things effortlessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with the Ashen Wolves! I've been working on this quietly for a while, but I'm finally releasing it now.
> 
> The actual Cindered Shadows chapters won't be starting for a while. First, I'm going to finish up Part One (I'm on the last part of the last chapter, so that will be taken care of soon). After that, I'm going to do the rest of the C supports that I haven't finished yet (which won't take too long). Next up will be the paralogues for Part One. Then, we have the B supports that are unlocked before time skip. Then we can finally get into Cindered Shadows. I'll do Cindered Shadows and then follow it up with the paralogues for the Ashen Wolves that take place before the time skip. In other words, I have a pretty long to-do list before Cindered Shadows comes along, but I'll get to it soon. In fact, there probably won't be a long gap in between the end of Part One (which is scheduled for the last week in May) and Cindered Shadows kicking off if Cindered Shadows doesn't start before then. I'll also throw in dialogue for the Ashen Wolves based around all of the main story chapters for exploration. I've got a lot to do for this project before Part Two, in other words. 
> 
> Until then, I hope you enjoy this! I'll hopefully be back with the last four characters soon enough!
> 
> -Digital


	2. Prologue: Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After seeing a mysterious shadow on monastery grounds, You and a group of your students journey to a land beneath the surface.

_Late one night at the monastery, You are walking back to your room alongside Chris, Magnolia and Raithius when You see something shifting out of the corner of your eye. You frown and ask if they saw it as well._

**Raithius:** I did, as a matter of fact… I wonder what it could be.

 **Magnolia:** There’s only one way to find out.

 **Chris:** Are you sure we should be following whoever was responsible for that? What if they’re involved with something dangerous? We could be putting ourselves at risk.

 **Raithius:** I don’t think we’ll have anything to worry about. We’re pretty strong, and our professor here would be happy to help protect us. Now, let’s go see what that was. I know I’m getting curious.

 **Chris:** I-If this leads us into trouble, I’m never forgiving you, Raithius!

_You follow Raithius over to where the shadow disappeared. You see an odd opening in the stone wall near your room. It has a staircase that seems to lead down below the monastery._

**Magnolia:** It looks like a secret passage of some sort.

 **Chris:** If I had to guess, I would say that this is the entrance to the passage system beneath the monastery.

 **Raithius:** Nearly everyone who lives in this area knows that the monastery has all sorts of hidden paths underneath it… It wouldn’t surprise me if this was the way to get in.

 **Magnolia:** I wonder if the person we saw went down there… Should we go after them?

 **Chris:** It looks risky… I think we should ask for some extra help. Going down there when it’s just the four of us… It would be dangerous.

_You agree and suggest that one of them go to find a few knights. However, You soon find that this is unnecessary, as a trio of figures appears out of the corner of your eye. Tuncay, Illona, and Sofia approach You soon afterwards._

**Magnolia:** I suppose the goddess heard us and sent reinforcements our way.

 **Sofia:** Seeing all three of you together sure is a strange sight.

 **Illona:** Reinforcements? What are you talking about?

 **Raithius:** Look.

 **Tuncay:** That’s a hole.

 **Raithius:** A hole leading into the passages beneath the monastery!

 **Chris:** These guys think it’s a good idea to go down there. Will somebody tell them this is a bad idea?

 **Illona:** It’s dangerous!

 **Chris:** Thank you!

 **Magnolia:** You can’t lie your way out of this one, Illona. We’re going to check it out. If the person we saw turns out to be dangerous, we’ll want to know sooner rather than later.

 **Sofia:** I know I’m in. It’s been a while since I’ve embraced an actual adventure like this.

 **Raithius:** Great! What do you say, Tuncay?

 **Chris:** Please have mercy on my soul, Tuncay.

 **Tuncay:** I wonder if there are some neat ores down there… I could always use them to make even better weapons when I can finally hit the forge again.

 **Chris:** So, I’m being outvoted by even my own classmate… This is unfortunate.

 **Illona:** Maybe we can make our own house of people with common sense.

 **Sofia:** Come on, you two! You can’t get out of this one. You’ve been overruled. Let’s go down the hole!

 **Raithius:** What do you say, Professor?

_You say that You are interested in what could possibly be at the bottom of the staircase._

**Magnolia:** In that case, let’s get going!

 **Chris:** I have a bad feeling about this…

_You and your students descend the staircase, and You cannot help but wonder what could possibly await You at the bottom…_

_When You finally step off the staircase, You look around with a small frown. The area is dark and poorly lit. The walls are brick, seeming to either block the rest of the world out or keep something horrifying in. You are unsure as to which one it could be. Another staircase extends out before You, and You can see a marketplace plaza down below. Everything appears to be barely held together, as if this area has fought to survive for many years. You examine it all with wide eyes and shock in your heart. What could this place be? Seraphine appears as You wonder such._

**Seraphine:** You know, I didn’t think you would actually come here… But now that we’re here, I’m curious. What is this place? Why is it here? Why was it kept hidden from us for so long? I mean, we work at the church, and Lady Aisa trusts us a lot, so why wouldn’t she tell us about this?

_Seraphine disappears after Raithius walks through her._

**Raithius:** Woah… This is crazy. I knew there were tunnels underneath the monastery, but I didn’t think there would be an actual town down here… This has to be a town, right?

 **Magnolia:** It’s nothing like any towns that I’ve ever seen…

 **Chris:** What if the people that live down here aren’t friendly? It isn’t too late to turn back.

 **Tuncay:** Chess, you worry too much.

 **Illona:** I, for one, think her worry is going to keep the rest of you fools alive. Why are we doing this again?

 **Sofia:** We want to make sure that the person Raithius saw wasn’t dangerous. This is for the greater good of the people living at the monastery. We have to check this out.

_You are about to say something when You see someone appear at the base of the stairs. It is a young boy who appears to be about the same age as your students. He has blonde hair, bright amethyst eyes, and tanned skin. He is wearing a uniform similar to that worn by students of the Officers Academy, but instead of a black and gold theme, it is black and silver. A purple cape falls down his back. He looks up at your party in shock._

**???:** Who are you?!

 **Raithius:** We’re students of the Officers Academy. Now, why don’t you answer the bigger question and tell us who you are?

 **???:** There’s no time for that! If you really want answers, follow me!

_The boy darts off in the other direction._

**Chris:** He sure seemed flustered…

 **Sofia:** What if there are some people in danger down there?

 **Magnolia:** If that’s the case, we have to help them. We can’t just leave them to suffer.

 **Raithius:** I’m with Maggy here. Come on. We’ve got to go help them out!

 **Tuncay:** I agree. Chess, if you try going back up to the surface, I will pick you up and carry you with us myself.

 **Chris:** Fine, fine… I’ll come.

 **Illona:** I have a bad feeling about this.

_Your group chases after the strange boy. You look around at the marketplace plaza as You pass through it, but You notice that there are no people in sight, as if they have all gone into hiding. You frown as Seraphine appears._

**Seraphine:** I’m sure that there are more people down here to make up a huge town like this, but… Where did they all go? Maybe they’re in hiding… If these people really are in danger, then they could be keeping themselves safe by staying out of sight… I don’t know, but I intend to find out before we go back to the surface.

_Seraphine disappears. You round a corner and arrive in a large arena at the back area of the city of tunnels. You slide to a stop with your students and see the boy with blonde hair standing among a group of other fighters. Some of them are very clearly with him, wearing the same uniform he is or standing with the uniformed forces. The others appear to be foes fighting against the companions of the blonde boy._

**???:** Help us! Please!

_You ask for the name of the young man._

**???:** If you really need to know, it’s Eli. These are my companions. As for who they are… You’ll find out soon enough. I can tell you when we have more time. For now, we need to get rid of these intruders. I’ll explain everything when they’ve been taken care of.

_You nod and draw your sword._

**Raithius:** Well, Professor, if you’re ready to fight for these guys, then I am too. I trust your judgement.

 **Magnolia:** If Raithius is in, then so am I. These are people in need, and I will not ignore them simply because it is easier to do so.

 **Sofia:** I like that noble thinking… It’s stuff like that which helps me to admire you so much.

 **Illona:** There’s no getting out of this now, and there are more books that I want to read when we get back to the surface, so… Alright. I guess I’ll help out too.

 **Tuncay:** My axe is yours, Professor.

 **Chris:** I’ll do my best to help out in any way that I possibly can. Just lead the way.

_You nod and tell your students that You will do all You can to fight for these mysterious people who dwell beneath the grounds of the monastery._

_There are nine people who are standing near Eli. Seven of them are wearing the same uniform as Eli, but the other two are not. One of them seems to be older, and You suspect that they are the leader of this group. The final person seems to be unrelated, but You cannot say for sure. None of them are under your control and act on their own at Eli’s command._

_Regardless, You fight alongside them until there are no more enemies aside from the one who seems to be the commander of these forces. His name is Ludwig._

_If You initiate combat with Ludwig, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludwig:** You are of the surface… You will pay for turning your back on us!

_If Eli initiates combat with Ludwig, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** Why are you attacking Abyss? I don’t understand.

 **Ludwig:** Great secrets lie in wait here.

 **Eli:** You’re willing to risk lives to find these secrets? You have no dignity, and you clearly have no value for human life.

 **Ludwig:** What I value is none of your concern. Step aside or die trying to defend this pathetic excuse of a town.

 **Eli:** So long as I breathe, I will do all that I can to protect Abyss!

_If any of your other units initiate combat with Ludwig, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludwig:** Pesky surface dwellers, always getting in our way… Get out of my damn way!

_If any of the other units allied with Eli initiate combat with Ludwig, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludwig:** More defenders of Abyss? You can try to keep this place safe all you want, but you shall not succeed!

_When Ludwig is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludwig:** Too… Well guarded… They will return again… Soon…

_After the battle, You stand alongside your students. Eli’s group is nearby._

**Eli:** Thank you for your assistance in fending off these invaders. It would have been much more difficult if we had to deal with them alone. We were easily outnumbered.

 **Raithius:** We just wanted to help out a person in need. That’s what we should be doing when somebody is suffering.

 **Magnolia:** There wasn’t any other choice. We weren’t going to leave you behind.

 **Eli:** You have my sincere thanks then… Now that they’re gone, I suppose we have time for proper introductions. My name is Eli Disnor Nhylise. Welcome to Abyss.

 **Sofia:** Abyss? Is that what this place is called?

 **Eli:** Yes. The secret tunnels below Garreg Mach all come together to create this underground domain. We have come to call it Abyss. It’s for all the people who feel lost up on the surface. They can find a home here when the rest of the world has turned away from us. The surface has made us suffer, so we made our own domain beneath the ground. It’s a secret to all but the highest-ranking figures in Garreg Mach, so I have to wonder… How did you find this place?

 **Chris:** We saw somebody running around up there. They disappeared, but we found the open entrance to Abyss right after they went missing.

 **???:** I believe that they are referring to me.

_The person who seems to be the rogue among the group approaches You. She has brown hair tied into a low ponytail, and she is wearing dark clothing that blends into the shadows. Her scarf is a bright purple color. She is wearing blue gloves and silvery boots. She certainly seems to fit the description of the shadow that You saw darting around the monastery just before You descended into Abyss._

**???:** You may call me Tsubasa.

 **Eli:** That’s right… You were above the ground trying to figure out more about the invaders who have been hounding Abyss as of late. Did you find out anything?

 **Tsubasa:** I’m afraid not. I feel like I came close, but I never quite grasped anything helpful. Plus, they showed up a few minutes after I came back. I would have been able to warn you if I knew that was happening, but I didn’t. Instead, we all wound up running around like headless chickens while trying to fight them off.

 **Eli:** That is true…

 **Raithius:** You look like the person we saw running around outside the monastery for sure. The outline of your shadow is perfect.

 **Sofia:** You appear to be a thief of some sort… You said this was a place for people who could not live on the surface?

 **Eli:** Abyss is a home for all those who have been shunned by society. There are people here who can find no home elsewhere. Some are hiding from terrible danger, and others are trying to escape a dreadful past. This is the one place that is undisturbed by the system of nobility and Crests.

 **Illona:** No nobility and Crests?

 **Eli:** All the people down here stand on equal ground. No person is above any other. We are all the same fundamentally. Even those with Crests… They deserve no privileges that would put them above other people.

 **Chris:** Maybe coming down here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

 **Eli:** As for us… We are the Ashen Wolves. We are… Well… How do I put this…? We are the secret fourth house of the Officers Academy. All the students here have been living in Abyss for a while, and while there is no formal education… We still do our best to improve ourselves as if we were students.

 **Magnolia:** You must have an incredible work ethic if you wish to improve yourselves to such a degree despite not having a professor of your own.

 **Eli:** Well… I wouldn’t say that we don’t have a professor. We do. Professor Veretie?

_The other person not dressed in the Ashen Wolves uniform steps forward. They wear a dark black cape over torn up clothing of gray and black. Their hair is brown and rather messy. Their eyes are brown, but You can see a few flecks of gold therein._

**Eli:** This is our unofficial professor, Ansel von Veretie.

 **Ansel:** Thanks for coming to rescue Abyss. I’m sure it would have worked out even if you didn’t come to help us, but I guess your help didn’t hurt.

 **Eli:** Perhaps I should introduce you to my classmates. There are seven other Ashen Wolves who aid me in defending Abyss from attack. First… Ernst, why don’t you introduce yourself?

_A young man steps forward. He has a lean build and is relatively tall. He has brown hair reaching the middle of his neck and deep blue eyes. Much like Eli, he wears the gray and black uniform typical of the Ashen Wolves._

**Ernst:** My name is Ernst Mercer. I'm a researcher of sorts, but I won’t bore you with the details now. We have more important things to discuss before moving on to small talk.

 **???:** If we’re going to talk, why don’t we just go back into the heart of Abyss?

_Another young man moves out from the small cluster of students. He has black hair with white streaks here and there. His eyes are a stark red color, and a small scar can be seen underneath his right eye. His stance appears tense, as if he is unable to relax given the situation._

**Eli:** You make a good point, Grey. There’s no reason in lingering here. The stench of blood is giving me a headache.

_You follow Eli and his companions back towards the town, Abyss. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** Abyss… How peculiar… I want to learn more about these Ashen Wolves, but I’m sure we’ll hear more with time.

_You nod as Seraphine vanishes. Soon afterwards, You arrive in the main segment of Abyss, standing in the isolated marketplace You were in earlier._

**Eli:** I’m glad the evacuation went as planned. I was rather worried, I must admit.

 **???:** I made sure everyone was alright. No need to worry, Eli.

_You look to the person who spoke. This was yet another young man wearing the Ashen Wolves uniform. He has purple hair that’s on the messy side and piercing yellow eyes. His stance tells You that he is less social than the previous members of the Ashen Wolves house that You have met already._

**Grey:** Glad to hear it, Saias. It’s for the best that you helped them out before Eli could lose his mind in panic.

 **Ernst:** I wouldn’t call it losing his mind.

 **Tsubasa:** Well, you would be the only one not to think that.

 **Ansel:** And you people like to call me crazy.

 **Eli:** This isn’t about me. Um… Magnus! Tell us about yourself!

 **Saias:** Oh, no… Eli, you do realize that you just opened the floodgates, right?

 **???:** Well, if you insist, Eli!

_The next young man to appear has a wide grin on his face. He is lanky and pale with freckles splattered across the bridge of his nose. His hair is shiny and silver. One of his eyes is blue while the other is gray. The latter eye has a scar running over it. Despite this concerning scar, he does not seem to mind and continues to smile. You assume this is Magnus._

**Magnus:** I am the one and only Magnus Viggo af Dellinger. You have witnessed my incredible prowess in magic, and it will allow us to carve a path towards a future of knowledge where brute strength is no longer necessary. I--

 **Grey:** Look at what you’ve done.

 **Saias:** Taiyin, please make it stop.

_Saias looks to a young woman standing nearby. She has long black hair reaching her waist and silver glasses. Her eyes are blue, and her uniform appears to be the most heavily modified out of the group, as if she put it together herself._

**Taiyin:** What do you want me to do? I can’t exactly make him stop when he gets excited like this.

 **???:** Let’s be honest here. Nobody can fix these messes.

_This voice belongs to a young man with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He has silvery glasses similar to Taiyin. He is on the shorter side as far as height is concerned among the students of the Ashen Wolves._

**Magnus:** Do you wish to hush me, Gabriel?

 **Grey:** All of us do deep down.

 **Magnus:** What was that?

 **Gabriel:** He didn’t say anything.

 **Eli:** Quinn, could you help me tell our new companions here more about Abyss? They still seem to be rather confused by all they have learned.

_The final Ashen Wolves student, a young woman with tanned skin, appears to be this Quinn mentioned by Eli. Her uniform covers most of her body with long sleeves and a lengthy skirt. Her outfit has highlights of purple here and there as well. She has brown eyes, and a black scarf is wrapped around her head, hiding her hair from view fully._

**Quinn:** Of course. Abyss has been located beneath the monastery for many years to allow people who need a home to find a place to stay.

 **Eli:** The Ashen Wolves were established recently whenever Professor Veretie came to Abyss. They act as the custodian of Abyss and our teacher.

 **Quinn:** Eli, I must ask… What are we going to be doing with our guests?

 **Eli:** What do you mean?

 **Quinn:** Do you wish to send them back to the surface?

 **Eli:** I… No. I don’t.

 **Grey:** Seriously?

 **Eli:** I would like them to stay here. They have all been injured defending Abyss, and the least we can do is heal their injuries until they are able to fight at their full strength again.

 **Ernst:** It’s been so long since we’ve had guests.

 **Saias:** I have to wonder if we ever have…

 **Taiyin:** Eli knows what he’s doing. If he wants them to stay, then we can accommodate them.

 **Gabriel:** They did help us to keep Abyss safe from those invaders…

 **Raithius:** What do you say, Professor? Are we going to stay?

_You think about it briefly before nodding._

**Eli:** I’m glad to hear it. Please, make yourselves comfortable. We owe a lot to you. I’m sure we’ll get to know each other better soon. If you have any questions, feel free to approach me. You can look around Abyss as much as you would like as well. Get used to your new surroundings. Thank you again for your help. We should go and tend to the rest of the occupants of Abyss to ensure they were not hurt in the fight, but if you need anything, I am happy to talk to you no matter what your concern is. The same applies to the rest of the Ashen Wolves.

 **Magnus:** I don’t remember agreeing to that.

 **Quinn:** Magnus…

 **Ansel:** I would be glad to show off my superior intellect.

 **Sofia:** Great. There’s two of them.

 **Eli:** We should get going. Abyss needs our help.

_Eli and the rest of the Ashen Wolves walk away with Ansel and Tsubasa. You turn to your students._

**Magnolia:** I think I know the real reason we’re sticking around here, Professor… You want us to be here in case another attack breaks out.

 **Raithius:** These guys could use the help if there’s another invasion.

 **Sofia:** If they’re the only ones defending Abyss, then they’re going to need all the help they can get.

 **Tuncay:** You heard what Eli said. We should be getting comfortable if we’re really going to be here all night.

 **Chris:** Um… If any of you need healing or something, I’m happy to assist you.

 **Illona:** I’m really starting to regret coming down here…

 **Sofia:** Come on, Lonnie! It’ll be an adventure!

 **Magnolia:** Besides, there’s no going back now.

 **Raithius:** We might as well make the most of it.

 **Tuncay:** I’m going to go look around.

 **Illona:** I guess I will too.

 **Chris:** We might as well… We’ll see you later, Professor.

_Your students walk away to explore Abyss as Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** I think we should spend some time exploring as well. You never know what’s hiding here, and I think it would be fun to see what secrets this place holds.

_You nod your agreement. Seraphine vanishes, and You begin to look around to see what Abyss has in store for You…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CINDERED SHADOWS TIME BABYYYYYYYY
> 
> I'm so glad I can finally introduce the Ashen Wolves! It feels like it's been ages since they were submitted, so I'm glad to finally be able to throw them out there into the world. Cindered Shadows is the first step to the rest of the content that remains, since after this, it's Ashen Wolves monastery dialogue for chapters 4-12, Ashen Wolves paralogues, and Ashen Wolves Goddess Tower conversations along with supports. 
> 
> Also, if you are wondering where Cindered Shadows fits in with the timeline, it takes place during chapter four. Unlike Cindered Shadows in canon, this actually happens in the canon timeline instead of an alternate universe. It's all in the month before the battle against Bazler in chapter four. 
> 
> I want to say also that I love the group of characters that goes down into Abyss. They have come to be known as the Liven't Gang, and I appreciate all of them. If you ever wanted inter-house banter, now is the time to see it for sure. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! The exploration part of chapter one will probably be going up tomorrow!
> 
> -Digital


	3. Chapter One: Unexplained Invaders I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You look around Abyss at Eli's direction.

_You begin to explore Abyss like Eli said You would be able to do. You walk around the street at the heart of Abyss. This area is known as Burrow Street, and it is where the marketplace is located. Inside Burrow Street, You see Eli standing alone._

**Eli:** This is Burrow Street, the main area of Abyss. It connects to everything else down here. You can find a variety of shops here as well. If you need your weapons repaired, or if you want to buy something new, this is the place to do it. In a way, Burrow Street is the heart of Abyss, and you’ll probably find the most people here during the day.

_After You finish speaking with Eli, You see that he is right when he says that is the heart of Abyss. Now that the danger has passed, there are many people bustling around, and You can see the shops he mentioned have opened as well. You make a mental note to investigate them later._

_You see Saias standing on Burrow Street as well, and You approach him next._

**Saias:** This place really does come to life when there are people in it… I know it looked lonely and desolate earlier, but Abyss is lovely whenever everyone is out here and enjoying themselves. Everybody had to go into hiding when the attack took place, but they’re back now. Maybe you could introduce yourself. They won’t judge you here. Abyssians never judge anyone.

_You thank Saias for his words and approach the final person on Burrow Street, Taiyin._

**Taiyin:** So, what do you think so far? Is Abyss neat or what?

_You say that it is a rather interesting community._

**Taiyin:** It takes some getting used to, but you’ll appreciate it soon enough. Abyss means a lot to many people, and they’re happy to accept you with open arms. Everyone down here has been through something, so we all understand each other in that way.

_After speaking to Taiyin, You leave Burrow Street to head to a large room near the entrance to Abyss. The room is filled from top to bottom with books. This is the Shadow Library. Its size rivals even the library of the monastery. The first person You see inside is Ernst._

**Ernst:** This is the library of Abyss. Isn’t it incredible? You can find all sorts of books in here. There are some tomes that have been banned elsewhere on the continent, but they have found a home here. I find it to be the best place for researching subjects that not everyone is aware of in full.

_You make yet another mental note to investigate this place in full later on. For now, You move on to the next person in the Shadow Library, Ansel._

**Ansel:** You’ve been working with the church, haven’t you? I know all about you. You’re the new professor who was hired this year as an assistant. I bet you’ve been using the monastery library for research.

_You nod in response._

**Ansel:** Well, this place is much better! Those stuffy church workers don’t know what they’re missing out on by getting rid of all these books. You have no idea how helpful they’re capable of being.

_You thank Ansel for the tip. You leave behind the Shadow Library and head further down the road. You encounter a tavern there. A sign hangs outside the entrance with the words ‘Wilting Rose Inn’ on it. Inside, You see Tsubasa sitting at a table with a cup in one hand._

**Tsubasa:** Welcome to the best dining establishment in Abyss. It’s the only one, but I’m sure you’ll like it here. The staff makes the most out of what they’ve got, which isn’t much, but they still manage to make everything tasty. Plus, the drinks are to die for. There’s no better way to unwind after a difficult mission.

_After finishing your conversation with Tsubasa, You approach Illona, who is standing in the middle of the tavern._

**Illona:** There’s so much to drink here… N-Not that I would dream of doing something like that! I don’t want to disappoint my professor, after all! Hahahaaaaaaaa…

_You ask Illona if she is feeling alright._

**Illona:** Right as rain! I guess I’m just a bit overwhelmed by all this… I can’t wait to go back home and maybe lock myself in my room for the next week… Who knew finding an underground city could be this exhausting?

_You approach Sofia, the final familiar face in the tavern, after You are finished speaking with Illona._

**Sofia:** Well, isn’t this something interesting? There are so many drinks here, and I haven’t even heard of a quarter of them. I imagine there are a lot of great drinks I could offer to girls for dates… Who would have guessed that an underground tavern would be my ticket? Granted, I don’t know all that much about what’s in these, but chances are it’s alcoholic… Okay, maybe I should stay away.

_You head through Burrow Street after leaving the Wilting Rose Inn, and You see a hallway with rooms on either side. This area is known as Chrysalis Row. You enter one of the rooms that offshoots from the primary hallway and realize that it contains the dorm room for the boys of the Ashen Wolf house. Grey can be found inside._

**Grey:** This is where the dorms for the boys of the Ashen Wolves can be found. It’s nothing fancy, and we all have to share a common space, but it’s still home. Besides, we have a generally strong relationship as a group, so there aren’t really any issues with arguments. Since this place is so crowded, I don’t know where we’re going to put you and your students though… I’m sure Eli and Professor Veretie will figure something out. That’s closer to being their job than it ever will be mine.

_The next room in Chrysalis Row contains the dorms for the girls in the Ashen Wolves. Quinn stands inside the room alone._

**Quinn:** This is where the girls of the Ashen Wolves sleep. This room is shared by me and Taiyin a majority of the time, but Tsubasa joins us every once in a while. It’s much more relaxed in here than in the boys’ room, though I suppose that is to be expected given the difference in size…

_You leave behind the girls’ dorm room. Another room contains a large heap of garbage, and the sign outside claims it is the Scrap Heap. Tuncay is standing inside when You pass by._

**Tuncay:** Look at all this leftover stuff! I can totally use this… Imagine all the extra weapons that could be made out of this stuff. This is the paradise of a blacksmith. I might just have to stay up all night to see what I can make.

_You tell Tuncay not to do that for the sake of their health._

**Tuncay:** Then I’ll do it tomorrow! People clearly aren’t using this stuff since it’s here. I’ll be happy to take this off their hands. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, after all.

_You leave the room and head back into the hallway before turning your attention to the fourth room. The final room is decorated with purple silk, and it is known as the Wayseer’s Room, though You see no wayseer inside it at that moment. Instead, You see Magnolia inside the room speaking to Raithius._

**Magnolia:** The sign claims that a fortune teller of some sort is meant to be in here, but I don’t see anyone… It’s somewhat concerning, I must say. I have to wonder where they could be. I hope nothing bad happened to them during the attack.

 **Raithius:** Maybe they’re still crawling out of their hole after being forced to hide so suddenly. I can imagine that would give anyone a great shock.

 **Magnolia:** You make a good point… I suppose we can ask Eli about it later.

 **Raithius:** For now, I want to keep looking around. It’s clear that this place has secrets to spare, and I’m curious as can be?

 **Magnolia:** I’m not surprised.

 **Raithius:** What is that supposed to mean?

 **Magnolia:** Oh, nothing…

_You leave Chrysalis Row and move towards another unknown room. This is the classroom of the Ashen Wolves. Inside, You see Magnus near the blackboard. Gabriel is inside as well. You approach Magnus first._

**Magnus:** This is the classroom of the Ashen Wolves. Professor Veretie teaches us about combat here. This is the best place to learn in all of Abyss. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is superior to your classrooms in the Officers Academy. Not everything fancy is necessarily better, and Abyss is living proof of this.

_You speak with Gabriel after finishing your conversation with Magnus._

**Gabriel:** I know coming down here to Abyss is a radical shift compared to what you’re used to, but… I hope it’s not too jarring. This place really isn’t all that bad. I’ve lived down here my whole life, and I’ve been nothing but happy. I hope that you’ll be able to find that same satisfaction that I and so many others have seen over time.

_After finishing your business in the classroom, You head towards the final unexplored area. When You walk inside, You see an altar at the back of the room. This is the Pagan Altar. Chris stands in front of it._

**Chris:** You know, as nervous as I was whenever we came down here, maybe it isn’t so bad after all. Imagine being able to escape the trials of your life on the surface to come here, a place where nobility and Crests mean nothing… I’m just rambling at this point. Feel free to ignore me… It would be nice though…

_After You finish looking around Abyss, You walk back to Burrow Street. You see Eli standing on the side of the street, and You approach him._

**Eli:** I take it that you’ve spent your time looking around. I’m glad to hear it. Now, let’s go on and get you set up with a room for you and your students… There’s an available home outside of the main area of Abyss that I can offer to you. Would that be alright?

_You nod._

**Eli:** I’m glad to hear it. If you look down there, you can see the street that leads to it. The door is wide open, and your students are being sent there by the rest of the Ashen Wolves. I hope you enjoy your evening, Professor. We’ll see you in the morning.

_You thank Eli for his help and start off down the street. When You arrive at the room You are sharing with your students, You see that most of them are already asleep after the long, rough battle from before. You smile to yourself and take the last available bed. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** We sure did do a lot tonight… I’m exhausted, but I can’t wait to see what awaits us tomorrow. It’ll be nice to look around this place when we’re more alert, don’t you think?

_You nod._

**Seraphine:** Let’s get some rest… Night, Professor.

_Seraphine disappears, and You close your eyes. You fall asleep soon after, your mind buzzing with thoughts about what Abyss could hold for You when morning comes…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative got its first hate comment on another site today! I'm so proud of her. Alternative is big enough now to have a hater who didn't even bother reading it before commenting. Allow me to shed a tear for my lovely child. She's thriving enough to have haters. 
> 
> -Digital


	4. Chapter One: Unexplained Invaders II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interruption comes in the middle of the night, and You are dragged into another battle.

_A few hours have passed since You went to sleep in the small room off the main area of Abyss. You hear a resounding explosion, and You jolt out of sleep when You feel the ground tremble. You look around to see if your students felt it as well. Chris and Illona are already clearly awake while the others are stirring from slumber._

**Chris:** What was that?!

 **Illona:** Is this another attack?

 **Raithius:** I mean… A powerful enough blast of fire magic could probably cause the ground to shake like that…

 **Chris:** F-Fire?!

 **Tuncay:** Ugh… I wonder if it’s always like this down here in Abyss…

 **Magnolia:** Regardless, I want to go and check it out. If something bad has happened, then it means that the professor made the right call when saying that we should stay here for the night.

 **Sofia:** I already have a bad feeling about this, and we haven’t even gotten out of bed yet.

_You get to your feet as Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** Something is definitely going on here… As much as I hate to admit it, I bet that it’s another attack. We should probably go and check in with the Ashen Wolves to make sure they’re okay.

_Magnolia moves towards the door and reaches for the handle. Her finger is about to grace the metal when the door is roughly thrown open, and You can see someone standing on the other side. It takes a few moments for your tired mind to process that it is none other than Ansel._

**Raithius:** Professor Veretie… If you’re here that must mean that something is wrong.

 **Ansel:** There’s another attack. They came in through the same entrance as the last time. Everyone else is already fighting at the arena in the back.

 **Chris:** Again…? This can’t be normal. Eli made it seem like this place was so peaceful, and I don’t think that constant attacks like this fit that description.

 **Magnolia:** I was thinking the same thing.

 **Ansel:** That’s because it isn’t regular.

 **Illona:** I wonder why this is all starting up now then…

 **Sofia:** We can ask questions later. For now, we have to get out there and help them out. We can’t just leave the Ashen Wolves to deal with this on their own.

 **Tuncay:** My axe is thirsting for the blood of anyone who interrupts a night of sleep.

 **Raithius:** My sword is going to join you there, Tuncay… I hope this is over with fast.

 **Magnolia:** Think about it this way. The sooner we go off and beat up these newcomers, the sooner we can come back here and keep sleeping. How does that sound?

 **Raithius:** You make a strong point… Alright. Let’s get going.

_You see Ansel dash out of the room and off down the street. After grabbing your sword, You follow them. Your students trail behind You as Seraphine speaks once again._

**Seraphine:** They have to be after something, right? Why else would they come down here? The question is though… What could have them invading Abyss so suddenly?

_You say that You do not know._

**Seraphine:** I hope we figure it out soon… I’m starting to get worried.

_Seraphine disappears as You arrive at the same arena from the night before. The area looks unchanged as far as landscape goes, but You can see that there are countless enemies surrounding the entrance to Abyss. There are too many for your forces to deal with all at once. The Ashen Wolves are already there, and they have formed a semi-circle around the entrance to the underground city._

**Magnolia:** There are so many of them!

 **Tuncay:** If I had to guess, I’d say that they blew the door down in order to get in here. I don’t know why they would do something like that, but it must have been important that they sneak in.

 **Eli:** I don’t have the slightest idea why they’re here. We have attacks in Abyss sometimes, but they’ve never been so close back to back before.

 **Gabriel:** I’ve been here all my life, and the most frequent they get is once every month or so.

 **Sofia:** In other words, something is going seriously wrong here…

 **Illona:** If we want to get rid of them, we should start fighting.

 **Tsubasa:** We can’t let them get into Abyss.

 **Ernst:** The people in there who aren’t fighting with us can’t defend themselves. It’s up to us to keep them safe, and we can’t let them down now.

 **Grey:** I agree. I don’t know who these guys are or what they’re thinking by coming here, but they’re going to regret it sooner or later.

 **Magnus:** I won’t be holding back in the slightest. If they think it wise to enter Abyss after being driven off once already, then they must suffer under my magic. I’m even more upset than I was last time since it’s the middle of the night, so heads will roll.

 **Ansel:** They’ve made a mistake by doing this, and I won’t let them forget it.

 **Taiyin:** Remember that the most important thing is to keep Abyss safe. Don’t get carried away trying to get rid of all of them. They’ll come to us eventually.

 **Saias:** Taiyin is right. We have to take this slow if we want to get rid of them all. If they get into Abyss, it’s over for us all.

 **Raithius:** Well, it certainly seems like we’ll have our work cut out for us.

 **Chris:** We’re ready whenever you are, Professor.

 **Quinn:** Is it time, Eli?

 **Eli:** Yes. Ashen Wolves, we fight! Listen to the professor for instructions. I believe our new friends have proven themselves after the earlier battle, and I am placing my full faith in their actions. We’ll fight better together, so the time has come to unite!

_The battle begins. You now have full control over the Ashen Wolves thanks to Eli giving You command over his forces. You, the Ashen Wolves, and your students work hard to keep Abyss safe from the many enemies that continuously appear. Eventually, the leader of the enemy forces appears. His name is Kura, and You notice that he is incredibly pale with white hair. The bizarre combination is unlike anything You have seen before._

_If You initiate combat with Kura, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kura:** You’re the leader of this group, are you? If that’s the case, maybe you’ll be able to make it easier on me and just tell me where it is… Surely you must know the truth, so don’t bother trying to hide it.

_If Eli initiates combat with Kura, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** Why are you invading Abyss?! You’re putting innocent people in danger!

 **Kura:** Innocent people matter little to me when placed before the glory of the treasure Abyss holds.

 **Eli:** Treasure…?

 **Kura:** You don’t know about it? How pathetic… If you can’t tell me where I can find it, then get out of my way so that I can track it down myself!

_If anyone else initiates combat with Kura, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kura:** Where is the pesky little treasure you’re hiding here? I know that it’s around here somewhere in this hellish excuse of a city… Why don’t we make this a lot easier on ourselves? Answer my questions, and maybe I’ll spare your life… Maybe.

_When Kura is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kura:** It has to be here… Somewhere… Why won’t you tell me where…?!

_After the battle, You stand with your students and the Ashen Wolves. You watch as Ansel and Tsubasa do their best to block off the hole caused by the explosion. They stack up debris and stray rocks created by the blast to ensure nobody else can get inside Abyss._

**Ansel:** Well, that takes care of that.

 **Tsubasa:** I wonder why they came back so soon… It’s unusual.

 **Ernst:** I agree… Their leader mentioned something about wanting to find an object.

 **Grey:** There must be something here in Abyss that they’re looking for then, but… What could it be?

 **Saias:** I don’t know, but I feel like we’ll have to figure it out…

 **Gabriel:** It could be anything. There are countless valuables here in Abyss.

 **Magnus:** The library alone is filled with books that cannot be replaced.

 **Quinn:** Plus, Abyss is at the center of an underground labyrinth… Maybe they are searching for something that we have not seen that lies beyond the border of the town.

 **Taiyin:** If that’s the case, we could be searching for ages before we ever find something.

 **Eli:** Maybe we could look through the books in the library to see if there are any clues found there… I don’t want to put anyone in danger, and if there’s another attack… We might not be as lucky as we were this time.

 **Tuncay:** They were smart for choosing to attack in the middle of the night… They thought we wouldn’t put up a fight, but then they decided to blow the wall apart. Poor choice on their part.

 **Sofia:** They almost could have gotten away with this, but then they decided to be ridiculous and cause an explosion. Did they really think we wouldn’t hear something like that? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who is that absurdly foolish.

 **Illona:** At least they’re gone now… That means that we won’t need to deal with them again. We took care of all the enemies before they could cause any problems or retreat too, so I’d say that we did a pretty good job.

 **Eli:** We took care of all the enemies from the previous wave as well… I suppose these reinforcements were sent when the previous group never went back to their base, wherever that is. That’s my guess for now at least. I don’t have any solid evidence to support it, but that’s something, right?

 **Raithius:** Yeah. I’m glad that they’re gone, but I think that we have much more pressing business at the moment.

 **Magnolia:** And what pressing business would that be?

 **Raithius:** Going back to sleep. Look around. Everybody’s exhausted. We only got a few hours of rest at most after that last fight, and our injuries weren’t even fully healed. We need to head back to Abyss and rest again before we do anything else.

 **Magnolia:** You have a point there. We won’t be at the peak of our performance until we rest for a while, so we won’t be able to get rid of any other waves for quite a while.

 **Chris:** I feel like my legs are going to give out at any moment…

 **Sofia:** I could always carry you back. Maybe that would make you feel better.

 **Chris:** I’m too tired to argue at this point, so sure.

 **Illona:** Raithius is right. We should get some sleep before trying to figure out what they wanted.

 **Ernst:** I’m sure the library will have some of the answers that we need.

 **Magnus:** With a little digging, I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out, though the rest of you might have some extra trouble.

 **Gabriel:** Please calm down. It’s too early and too late for this simultaneously, and I am not in the mood to put up with it.

 **Grey:** The library will still be there in the morning, so we should head back and catch some shuteye.

 **Taiyin:** Exactly. Besides, we won’t be able to fight again for a while until we rest, and if they came back so soon…

 **Quinn:** We might have to deal with another invasion sooner than we thought.

 **Ansel:** How frustrating… Don’t they know when to quit? They should have backed off before blowing up the wall.

 **Tsubasa:** Honestly, we’re lucky that all of Abyss didn’t come crumbling down with that blast. It certainly could have been strong enough to cause serious damage. We can find a proper solution for it in the morning, but for now, I suppose that our rock blockade will work fine to keep our foes out.

 **Ernst:** As tempted as I am to just search through the library now to figure out what they’re looking for… I do think we could all use some extra sleep after what we’ve been through tonight. We’ve fought more tonight alone than we have in the past three months.

 **Eli:** Now, let’s all go to bed, and hopefully, we’ll be able to stay asleep this time. I’ll pray to the goddess that she has mercy on us this time.

 **Tuncay:** Goodnight, everyone. If there’s more trouble, I might just have to slit the throat of the invaders. It would give me a little bit of satisfaction after having to wake up in the middle of the night again.

 **Chris:** You sure seem bitter, not that I can blame you. In fact, I think all of us have a right to be.

 **Sofia:** Not me. I’m carrying a pretty girl back to Abyss.

 **Illona:** Even in the dead of night after we fought for our lives, you can still find it in you to flirt with girls…

 **Sofia:** If you would like, I can flirt with you too, Lonnie.

 **Raithius:** Why am I not surprised that’s how you replied?

 **Magnolia:** I’ll see you all in the morning. Sleep well.

_You watch your students walk back to the main area of Abyss._

**Eli:** We should be doing the same. I hope you have a nice rest, Professor. If you need anything, feel free to wake me up. I’m happy to help you. Let’s go, everyone.

_You thank Eli for the offer as he and the rest of the Ashen Wolves leave with Ansel and Tsubasa. Seraphine appears once You are the only one in the arena._

**Seraphine:** Well, tonight sure has been eventful, huh? I don’t think that’s exactly a good thing though…

_You nod your agreement, feeling your eyes shut as if they can no longer keep themselves open. You begin the trek back to your room, and it feels much longer than it did when You went out to the arena less than two short hours ago. Your feet drag along the ground as Seraphine continues to speak._

**Seraphine:** I would be content to never be woken up like that again… We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, don’t we? We’ll have to figure out what those guys are after. I hope the library down here is really as useful as everyone has been insisting, because we’re going to need all the help we can get.

_You say that You feel the same as You finally arrive back at your room. You shut the door behind You before sitting on your bed. Most of your students have already fallen asleep, and if they are still awake, they are hiding the fact well._

**Seraphine:** Goodnight again… Hopefully, this is the last time I need to say that.

_Seraphine vanishes as You lay down. Sleep comes easily, but You cannot help wondering about what will await You when You awake the following morning. Hopefully, You will be able to find an answer without initiating in combat once again…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter one is done! Hell yeah!
> 
> Only chapters one, two, three, and five are going to have exploration, so we're going to be jumping into exploration next time. Heckie yes. 
> 
> -Digital


	5. Chapter Two: Distant Legends I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You begin doing research to learn more about what the strange invaders could want.

_You wake up the next morning to find that all of your students have already woken up and left. You get to your feet as Seraphine appears._

**Seraphine:** Well, it’s time for us to do some snooping… We need to figure out what those guys were after last night. They must have had a reason for coming here, and we’re going to have to find it.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** Since everyone else is already gone, we can assume that they’ve already started looking around. I hope that they’ve found at least something already, but if they haven’t, I don’t think that would be particularly surprising either.

_You leave the room as Seraphine disappears. You find Eli down the road on Burrow Street and decide to speak with him._

**Eli:** I’m glad to see that you were able to get some rest last night. We’ve already begun looking around to try and find out more about what those guys could have been after. I suggest checking the library. A lot of people are there trying to find an answer. You might find something of interest there.

_You thank Eli for the tip and walk further down the street. You see Gabriel standing alone, and You approach him._

**Gabriel:** I’ve lived in Abyss nearly my whole life, and there haven’t ever been any issues in the past with attacks like this. I have to wonder if there’s something special about Abyss that only took effect recently. There were attacks every once in a while before, but they were never this aggressive… Something must have changed recently, and it must be important.

_You walk away from Gabriel and head towards the Wilting Rose Inn. Tsubasa is sitting alone with a cup in one hand, and You walk up to her._

**Tsubasa:** I’ve done some snooping here already. I asked to see if there was anything of interest that the people here knew, but I’ve found nothing. I’ve done some eavesdropping as well, though I don’t think anybody here has a reason to hide the truth. After all, it’s their lives on the line if this continues… The point is that nothing has come out. It’s pointless to look around here.

_You thank Tsubasa for the information and leave the tavern. Standing in the hallway outside the library is Magnolia. You ask her how she is doing._

**Magnolia:** There’s a lot of important information in there as far as I can tell… I don’t know what could lead us to the truth, but the books in there… There are so many that I’ve never even heard of, and I have to wonder where they came from. I’m sure that there’s some explanation to answer that question out there, but I don’t know if I want to hear it at this point… After all, some of those tomes have been banned from the library we use at the monastery.

_After finishing your conversation with Magnolia, You walk into the library and see many familiar faces scanning the books. You walk up to the nearest person, who just so happens to be Magnus, and ask if he has found anything._

**Magnus:** You believe that I would be helpless and unable to aid your cause, do you?

_You tell him that You mean nothing of the sort._

**Magnus:** Whatever you say… Regardless, I have found one thing that might be important to our search. Look at this page. It has four symbols drawn on it. They do look rather familiar, but I am unsure as to where I could have seen them before. I wonder if the answer we seek is hiding in these pages…

_You move on to speak with Ernst next._

**Ernst:** I have always found Crests to be rather interesting, so I took to searching for something involving them once I heard that we had to find the truth. I have not yet found anything that sticks out, but there is one thing here that strikes me as odd… Apparently, there were some Crests that were lost to history. I have read most books about them, but none mention these Crests. I have to wonder if they were purposefully erased from the past…

_You keep Ernst’s words in mind as You step away to allow him to continue his research. The next person in the library is Tuncay, and You walk up to them._

**Tuncay:** I still can’t find anything… They must believe that there’s some special power that can be found here in Abyss, but I don’t see any useful information about legends that would help us. Maybe the history of this place isn’t well-documented since many people are unaware it exists. That wouldn’t surprise me, but it is annoying… Nothing can ever be easy for us, huh?

_You approach the final person in the library. It happens to be Chris._

**Chris:** You know, I’ve been keeping an eye on some members of the Ashen Wolves… I could have sworn that I saw some of them activate Crests in the last battle, but they aren’t like any Crests that I’ve ever seen. I’ve been trying to match up the symbols with markings in this book, but I simply can’t figure out how it aligns… There has to be some explanation, but what could it be?

_You leave the library and direct yourself towards Chrysalis Row. You see Illona in the Scrap Room, so You decide to approach her._

**Illona:** Hey, Professor… I’ve been looking through everything here to see if we can find anything that might help us out. There are a lot of loose pieces of paper, but there doesn’t appear to be anything relating to why somebody would want to break into Abyss. I don’t get it… Whatever the answer is, I doubt it’s found in here…

_You thank Illona for her efforts and head to the next room over, the Wayseer’s Room. You see Sofia and Raithius standing inside. You approach Sofia first._

**Sofia:** I was thinking that maybe there would be something in here. I mean, the wayseer mentioned on the sign outside probably knows a lot about Abyss, but there’s nobody in here. I’ve searched this place as much as I can, but I haven’t found anything. Just as Raithius. He’s just as clueless as I am.

_You direct your attention towards Raithius next._

**Raithius:** I can’t find anything… I’ve looked behind and under everything that’s in here while Sofia has checked the shelves, but there’s nothing that could possibly point us to an answer. I don’t get it. I mean, this place seems to be practically exploding with secrets, but there’s still nothing that can help us out. That sure does suck, huh?

_You move next towards the Ashen Wolves classroom. There, You see three people: Ansel, Grey, and Taiyin. You approach Ansel first._

**Ansel:** The library is a much better place for trying to find information, but there are some useful books here as well… None of them mention anything special about Abyss. If there was something unique here, I imagine that I would already be aware of it anyways, so maybe we aren’t meant to find the truth behind this…

_After You finish speaking with Ansel, You approach Grey._

**Grey:** I’ve read through quite a few books in here, but none of them have said anything about legends regarding Abyss. The city is at the heart of an underground labyrinth, but that’s about it. Abyss has a unique culture, but it doesn’t have any special legends that could point us in the right direction… This search is much harder than I would have expected.

_You approach Taiyin once You finish the conversation with Grey._

**Taiyin:** They referred to their targeted object as a treasure of some sort… I don’t know what that could be referring to. Most of the people in Abyss are on the poorer side, and I don’t think that anybody here has anything of particular value… I wonder if this treasure is truly a gem. I’m starting to think it might be something different entirely…

_You make a mental note of Taiyin’s words and move on to the Pagan Altar. Saias and Quinn can be seen standing in front of it. You walk up to Saias first._

**Saias:** I’ve never seen anything down here that even slightly resembles a treasure… The most valuable space that we have is the library since it has a bunch of rare books, but… I don’t think that fits the way their leader was obsessively speaking about it. I feel like their target must have been something else, but what could it possibly be?

_You approach Quinn next._

**Quinn:** I would not say that I know a lot about the culture of Abyss, as I only came to live here recently. However, the people here are honest and hardworking. I doubt any of them could be hiding something dangerous, so perhaps… Maybe we Abyssians are unaware of the existence of this object they treasure so…?

_You hear footsteps outside, and You turn to see Eli standing in the doorway._

**Eli:** We’ve found something that might lead us to an answer. Let’s all meet in the library to talk about this.

_You nod and follow Eli to the library. You remain silent the whole way, and so does Eli. When You arrive, the rest of your comrades are there as well, regardless of if they attend classes at the Officers Academy or are part of the Ashen Wolves group._

**Chris:** So, I guess it’s time for us to discuss the solution here.

 **Ernst:** I found the answer here in this book. It was hiding even inside the library, so I get the feeling that this information was meant to be hidden even from us.

 **Grey:** If it will help us to protect Abyss, it doesn’t matter how hidden it is.

 **Magnus:** Nothing can hide from the mighty, the great--

 **Tsubasa:** What did you find, Ernst?

 **Ernst:** There was a rite performed here at the monastery many years ago. It’s been multiple centuries since then, but… There are still records of it here in this book.

 **Saias:** I’ve never heard anything about a rite here at the monastery that would particularly stand out… I mean, there are religious ceremonies and all, but none of those would explain why Abyss would be targeted.

 **Ernst:** This was called the Rite of Rising. There was an artefact used in order to attempt to revive the goddess, and Saint Seiros herself was there to watch over the ceremony in question.

 **Illona:** Revive the goddess…?

 **Ernst:** According to this book, a vessel was offered to the goddess, and she would be able to claim that body as her own and walk this land again as if she had never died in the first place. Saint Seiros collaborated with her most trusted advisors, the Four Saints, to try and bring her back to life.

 **Ansel:** Saint Cichol, Saint Cethleann, Saint Indech, and Saint Macuil… This must have been before they passed away alongside Saint Seiros.

 **Sofia:** It must have been… They were said to have survived for many years in the aftermath of the war with Nemesis to rebuild the land, but they passed away before that dream could be fulfilled.

 **Ernst:** They gathered together four others who came to be known as the Four Apostles. These Four Apostles offered their blood to an artefact known as the Chalice of Beginnings. If their blood came together, it was supposed to have the power to bring back the goddess from the dead and allow her to claim the offered body as her new vessel.

 **Eli:** I’m willing to guess that it didn’t go quite as planned though…

 **Ernst:** No, it didn’t. The ritual failed, and in the end, the goddess was not brought back. The Four Apostles disappeared and scattered out of shame that their attempt to revive the goddess was not successful.

 **Quinn:** I have to wonder… What about the Four Apostles made them so special? Why were they the ones who had to offer their blood to this mysterious Chalice of Beginnings?

 **Ernst:** The book claims that they possessed Crests, but… It doesn’t mention which ones. However, the book also says that they left behind the continent as a whole, so I’m not sure what Crests they could be. After all, every known Crest can be found on the continent as of now.

 **Gabriel:** How peculiar… I’m sure there’s an explanation for it, but I don’t have the slightest clue as to what they could be.

 **Chris:** What if they’re new Crests that aren’t mentioned in records at all?

 **Raithius:** Why do you say that?

 **Chris:** Think about it. If this rite has the power to bring the dead back to life, then a lot of people would want that power. If they knew about the steps needed to resurrect someone, they would do anything to do it.

 **Magnolia:** I see… But if the Crests were erased from history, no one would be able to attempt the rite again.

 **Taiyin:** If these guys really are after the Chalice of Beginnings, why are they coming here?

 **Ernst:** This book claims that it was sealed within a location known as the Chasm of the Bound. Perhaps they think that’s located somewhere in the labyrinth surrounding Abyss.

 **Tuncay:** If it was kept in Abyss, the church could keep an eye on it without putting it in the monastery. It would be close enough to watch without putting it on public display.

 **Eli:** In that case, if we can find this Chalice of Beginnings from the Chasm of the Bound and get rid of it… Abyss might be better off. We won’t be able to do anything with it since we don’t have the four mystery Crests that could allow for a Rite of Rising, but we could deliver it to the church so that it can be relocated. That way, Abyss wouldn’t be in danger anymore.

 **Raithius:** Plus, it would get it out of the clutches of the enemies that have been swarming Abyss as of late… It sounds like we’ve got a plan.

 **Magnolia:** I hope that this ends the problems Abyss has been suffering from as of late… The people here truly don’t deserve to suffer this way.

 **Eli:** I’m going to keep looking around to find a way to locate this Chasm of the Bound, but once we have an answer, I think we should set off to find it.

 **Ernst:** Sounds like a plan… I do have one more thing to say though.

 **Eli:** What is it?

 **Ernst:** The date that this rite was supposedly carried out… It’s two days before Saint Seiros and the Four Saints died.

 **Sofia:** That’s… That’s very close.

 **Ernst:** I was thinking the same thing… There isn’t a way to connect the incidents, but… Nobody knows how they died, so we might be doing something dangerous here.

 **Eli:** I’m sure the Chalice is involved… All the more reason to get rid of it.

 **Ansel:** Get ready to set out, everyone. Let’s get rid of this damned cup already.

_Everyone leaves the library, and You follow them as Seraphine appears._

**Seraphine:** Saint Seiros died two days after the Rite of Rising… Hm. That’s rather strange. I wonder if the incidents are linked. It wouldn’t surprise me. Regardless, we should get ready. I’m sure that we’ll get our answers soon enough.

_Seraphine disappears, and You begin to wonder more about the Chalice of Beginnings. What could your enemy want it for? How are they planning to enact the Rite of Rising without the Crests needed from the Four Apostles? What happened to the Four Apostles in the first place? You are unsure, but You get the feeling that You will hear the answers soon enough…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My school district canceled for the rest of the year so you can bet that I'm going to be posting on here a bunch
> 
> -Digital


	6. Chapter Two: Distant Legends II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are attacked while preparing to find the Chalice of Beginnings.

_A few hours have passed, and You are getting ready to set out for your mission to obtain the Chalice of Beginnings from the Chasm of the Bound. Seraphine stands beside You in the room that You are sharing with the rest of your students. She is talking, and even if the rest of the students are in there with You, none of them are able to hear her._

**Seraphine:** I’m excited to see what this could possibly have in store with us… Aren’t you? Imagine how this is going to turn out. I have to wonder if these guys are really after the Chalice of Beginnings… And if they are, will they stop when we take it to the church? They won’t have a reason to come back to Abyss searching for it, but if they don’t know that the Chalice isn’t here, then this could continue… Regardless, it isn’t like we have any other choice, so we might as well go for it.

_You do not reply to Seraphine, and You are sure that she understands why. Since your students are in the room, You do not want to talk to her and alert them to her presence since they are unable to see her. You remain silent as You place a few vulneraries into a small bag of supplies. Seraphine continues to talk._

**Seraphine:** I hope that things get better for the people of Abyss soon. They really don’t deserve to suffer like this. They seem to have good protectors in the form of the Ashen Wolves, and it would be a real shame if one of them died while trying to protect their home. I bet that Abyss means a lot to them, and I don’t want them to get hurt while keeping this place safe.

 **Magnolia:** I hope that this solves the issue of the invasions on Abyss… I feel bad for everyone here who has had to suffer due to this. I get the feeling that it’s a recent issue, and I hate to see people struggling when they don’t need to.

 **Raithius:** I feel the same. Nobody deserves to suffer, so we’ll just have to make sure that everything turns out alright for their sakes.

 **Illona:** I have a bad feeling about this Chalice of Beginnings thing. What if it winds up causing more problems than it solves?

 **Sofia:** I think bringing back the dead is as interesting as the next girl, but… I don’t know. Something about this just seems fishy to me.

 **Tuncay:** It’s not like we have any other options here…

 **Chris:** I’m a bit more curious about some members of the Ashen Wolves themselves, to be perfectly honest.

 **Tuncay:** What makes you say that?

 **Chris:** I’ve seen some of them activate Crests during battle, but… They aren’t like any Crests that I’ve ever seen. I looked through a book about Crests in the library earlier, but some of the pages were torn out. It’s as if someone wants to keep them secret.

 **Sofia:** You know what that seems to fit the description of?

 **Illona:** The four Crests used to carry out the Rite of Rising…

 **Raithius:** I don’t know if we can entirely say that this is the case right now… I mean, every book about Crests states that these are the ones that have been discovered so far. There is always the possibility that there’s something out there to show that there’s another Crest.

 **Magnolia:** After all, Unio was only discovered recently when members of our class went to visit with Evenor Hepius… I suppose it is possible that these Crests are not the same ones mentioned in the book about the Rite of Rising.

 **Sofia:** Even if they were, I don’t think we have any pictures to compare the symbols to anyways. We can’t really prove that these are the Crests involved, so we don’t really have any basis to stand on here.

 **Illona:** If the Crests they do have are involved with the Rite of Rising, then we could be in some serious trouble should the enemy find out.

 **Tuncay:** This rite has been kept secret from nearly everyone, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they weren’t aware of it either. We just learned about it earlier today since it was wiped off the face of history.

 **Chris:** I’m not saying that we should make any bold accusations right now, but… It’s something to keep in mind. Try to take a quiet note of it and move on. I don’t want to scare them unnecessarily if this winds up being false.

 **Seraphine:** How curious… If her observations are true, perhaps it would be possible to perform the Rite of Rising… I get a bad feeling when it comes to this strange rite, though I don’t quite know how to define it. It’s not like there’s anyone in particular we want to bring back from the dead at this point, so we should just leave it alone. Even if there was someone who caught our attention when it came to resurrection, it would probably be a bad idea to interfere with something like life and death. It sounds to me like the last attempt failed, and I don’t know if I want to tempt fate like that.

_You agree with Seraphine, but You hear footsteps outside before You can voice such to the rest of the group in the room. You see Ansel appear in the doorway, and judging by how disheveled they appear, something has gone wrong._

**Raithius:** Professor Veretie?

 **Magnolia:** Is something the matter? You seem rather flustered.

 **Ansel:** There’s another attack taking place within Abyss. It’s not in the arena this time… It’s from a different direction.

 **Chris:** Another one? You have got to be kidding me.

 **Illona:** I guess that our foes know more about the layout of the underground than they’ve been telling us…

 **Sofia:** You’re probably right, Lonnie… But we don’t have time to think about it now.

 **Tuncay:** Let’s get going.

_You follow your students and Ansel out of the room. Seraphine speaks to You as You leave._

**Seraphine:** Another attack? I guess finding the Chalice is going to have to wait… Let’s get down to business.

_Seraphine disappears, and You arrive at the site of the battle soon after. It is another area within the underground outside the heart of Abyss, and, as You expected, You do not recognize it. However, You do see many fighters dotting the area. The battlefield consists of a complex system of tunnels. The Ashen Wolves are already there._

**Eli:** It happened again…

 **Ernst:** We’ll just have to defend Abyss once more.

 **Grey:** After this, we’ll need to go for the Chalice immediately.

 **Saias:** If that’s what they really want, they’ll leave us alone once they see it isn’t here anymore.

 **Magnus:** Step aside. I’ll handle this.

 **Taiyin:** We’re all going to fight for the sake of Abyss.

 **Gabriel:** These guys sure are insistent on causing trouble…

 **Tsubasa:** If that’s how they want to be, they’ll just need to deal with the consequences.

 **Quinn:** Don’t let them infiltrate Abyss.

 **Ansel:** Is everyone ready?

 **Eli:** The time has come. We must defend our home once more!

_The battle properly begins. You fight with your party as hard as You can to drive off the intruders. They appear to be part of the same group that has already struck twice, and You work with your comrades to rout the enemy fully. Soon enough, only the commander, Axel, remains. Much like the previous invaders, he has white hair and incredibly pale skin. He almost looks ghastly when he stands among the darkened corridors of the labyrinth surrounding Abyss._

_If You initiate combat with Axel, this dialogue plays out._

**Axel:** How did you know we were here? It was supposed to be a simple operation, just in and out… But no matter. We will defeat you regardless. You made a mistake for coming up against us, and now you will have no choice but to pay for it!

_If Eli initiates combat with Axel, this dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** What do you want out of Abyss?

 **Axel:** We seek only your most treasured relic. Our leader has need of it. If you fork it over now, perhaps we will retreat and leave this sorry excuse for a town alone.

 **Eli:** Tell me… Is it the Chalice? It must be.

 **Axel:** You know more than I would have expected… If you know that it exists, why don’t you give it to us and spare the lives of your people?

 **Eli:** I would not even if I knew where it was. Now, I will make sure that you never harm the people of Abyss again!

_If anyone else initiates combat with Axel, this dialogue plays out._

**Axel:** Give it to us already. Make things easier on all of us and hand it over.

_When Axel is defeated in combat, this dialogue plays out._

**Axel:** I have… Failed…? Where could it be…?

_After the battle, You stand alongside the Ashen Wolves and your students. The enemy has been defeated, and You stare down the lengthy path that they came from. None of them were able to escape, and the smell of blood is heavy in the air._

**Eli:** They were after the Chalice of Beginnings… That must be it.

 **Grey:** I heard the way they were talking. There’s nothing else that they would want to get from Abyss.

 **Magnus:** If their target wasn’t the library, then it must have been the damn Chalice…

 **Ansel:** If they want it so badly, then let’s get rid of it already. That’s the only way that all of this will stop.

 **Saias:** I worry that they’ll still try to invade Abyss even after the Chalice of Beginnings has been relocated, but… It isn’t like we have any other options.

 **Taiyin:** This is the only chance that we have of keeping Abyss safe, so we have to go for it.

 **Gabriel:** If they want the Chalice, then we should go and find it. If we can get it to Lady Aisa, then maybe this will end already.

 **Ernst:** We should return to Abyss and continue our preparations. I don’t think that we’ll be able to leave now, and even if we wanted to, that battle exhausted our weapons. We need to ensure that they’re fully repaired before we leave.

 **Tsubasa:** As much as I want to go and find the Chalice already, you have a point. Going out there if we aren’t prepared might as well be a death sentence.

 **Quinn:** We have no idea what awaits us when we leave Abyss… For all we know, there is some arcane force keeping the Chalice secured. Perhaps that is how it has remained undisturbed for so many years.

 **Sofia:** That would make sense… After all, somebody would probably go after the Chalice to attempt and locate it when it wasn’t yet legend. People would still know that it existed right after the first attempt at the Rite of Rising since I imagine it was a public ceremony. A lot of people would want to watch the goddess be reborn, and many people would be aware of it then.

 **Raithius:** If there is something keeping it locked up, I bet it would be able to take care of most of these soldiers… However, there’s not really a guarantee that there are magical creatures guarding this thing, so we don’t really have a choice but to take them out.

 **Illona:** I hope it’s obvious what it looks like… That book didn’t have any pictures to show us what the Chalice looked like, so we’re going to have to guess. It had better be an actual cup.

 **Magnolia:** Maybe the phrase chalice is misleading us when it’s really something else. I mean, you say strange things all the time when you actually mean something else, Illona.

 **Illona:** Not funny, Maggy. Besides, at least my lies aren’t connected to an ancient object that’s probably cursed.

 **Tuncay:** I hope that this thing isn’t cursed. It’s caused enough problems for us already, and a curse really feels like overkill when it comes to making us suffer intensely.

 **Chris:** I would agree with Tuncay here. I bet that an object like this has a strong magical presence… Maybe we’ll be able to sense it somehow.

 **Eli:** I’m not sure, but I’m hoping that this doesn’t spell complete doom for us. This is the only path forward, so I pray that it doesn’t cause any issues.

 **Gabriel:** For now, we should head back to Abyss. We have a lot of preparing to do if we’re going to try and find the Chalice.

 **Magnus:** I bet it’s going to be in some well-hidden tunnel or something. Such a deduction is only fitting of yours truly.

 **Ansel:** If we do some searching, perhaps we’ll be able to find the way to the Chalice with minimal issues.

 **Saias:** If it’s somewhere in Abyss, it’s got to be in the tunnels… The monastery has an entire maze beneath it, so I’m a bit worried that this is going to be harder than we expected.

 **Grey:** There are a lot of places for us to search, so we had better get started. I doubt it will be in a main area like this, so let’s go back to Abyss, finish getting ready, and fan out from there.

 **Ernst:** I’ll try to do more research to see if I can figure out where it is. That’s the least I can do. If I look through that book more, maybe I’ll be able to find something that will point us in the right direction.

 **Taiyin:** Why are we still standing around here when we have business to take care of back there? The enemies have been taken care of, and the smell of all this blood is starting to give me a headache.

 **Quinn:** I understand that fully. We have a lot of searching to do, and for the sake of Abyss, we need to get started sooner rather than later. We have been lucky three times now with no innocent people getting hurt, but… Our streak of good fortune could come to an end at any moment, and we cannot take any chances.

 **Sofia:** Off we go then! Let’s find this Chalice, give it to Lady Aisa, and get rid of these guys once and for all. I’m certainly looking forward to it.

 **Tuncay:** You’re not the only one.

 **Illona:** Back to Abyss we go!

_The group begins to walk away, but the three house leaders stay behind alongside You._

**Magnolia:** Their Crests activated during the fight… I started to see what Chris was talking about too. I didn’t recognize any of those symbols.

 **Raithius:** Me neither… I wonder what this could mean.

 **Chris:** Nothing good, that’s for sure… Let’s stay quiet for now. I’m sure we’ll figure this out soon enough.

_The three house leaders walk away, and Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** There’s something going on here… I just don’t know what it is… We’ll have to figure it out sooner or later, but for now, we have bigger things to take care of.

_Seraphine disappears, and You begin walking back towards Abyss. You cannot help but wonder what all of this could mean, but You have a bad feeling about this. You are curious about what is to come, so You press on towards the underground city, hoping that the Chalice will appear to You soon enough…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's chapter two done!
> 
> -Digital


	7. Chapter Three: Gold Lined in Blood I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore Abyss as final preparations are made to find the Chalice of Beginnings.

_You arrive back at Abyss and decide to continue your preparations to set out for the Chalice of Beginnings. Starting at the front of the underground city, You begin to wander around to see if anyone else requires your presence._

_First, You head towards the library. Inside, You notice Ernst studying a bookcase._

**Ernst:** I think I’m coming closer to finding the hidden passageway that will point us in the right direction… Just a little bit more digging into the books here in the library will hopefully give me the information we need to enter the passageway to the Chalice… At the very least, that’s what I’m hoping, but there’s no way to say for sure if it will actually go that way.

_You approach the next person within the library, Magnus._

**Magnus:** I wonder how much this Chalice is truly capable of. It clearly has the power to bring back the dead, but perhaps it can do something else as well… Once we do find it, I might have to conduct a few experiments before we hand it over to the church… What? I’ll be careful.

_You leave the library and head towards the Wilting Rose Inn. You see Raithius standing inside._

**Raithius:** I’ve been asking around here to see if anybody knows fully how to navigate the labyrinth that Abyss is part of, but nobody has ever gotten through the full thing. Some people have gone out to find answers and never returned… I guess that just means that we’ll have to be extra careful when we go out investigating.

_You approach the other person inside the tavern, Ansel._

**Ansel:** I don’t know as much about Abyss as I probably should. I’ve been here for a few years, but I can’t say much more than that. Going out into the tunnels without a map is the dumbest thing anybody could possibly hope to do, and I like to think that I’m above something like that… Or at least, I was until this damned Chalice popped up.

_You leave behind the Wilting Rose Inn and head to Burrow Street. You encounter Tsubasa standing alone there._

**Tsubasa:** I’ve stolen a lot of things in my time, but I don’t think I’ve ever taken anything that could qualify as a treasure from the goddess herself. Maybe I won’t be able to spend time at her side in the afterlife, but honestly, I’m more concerned with keeping people safe now. The consequences can wait.

_You move further down Burrow Street, running into Gabriel along the way._

**Gabriel:** I didn’t know anything about the Chalice of Beginnings up until recently. It was an extremely well-kept secret until Ernst went digging… I swear, he could find out just about anything if you gave him the right resources… Uncovering a forbidden ritual has to be worth something for him, right?

_You walk towards the final person on Burrow Street, Saias._

**Saias:** I really hope this doesn’t get us in any trouble with the church… I’ve heard that Lady Aisa is a reasonable woman, but it’s still probably frowned upon to go snooping to find an ancient artifact. It was sealed away for a reason, and I hope that reason doesn’t get us in too much trouble.

_You move towards Chrysalis Row. You see Sofia standing in the hallway there._

**Sofia:** I have to wonder if all of us going out to find this Chalice is a good idea. What if something happens to Abyss while we’re gone? I mean, it’s probably for the best if we stay together to make sure nothing bad happens, but… I’m still worried. After all, this could wind up being a matter of life and death.

_You walk into the Scrap Room after finishing your conversation with Sofia. You see Tuncay standing inside._

**Tuncay:** If we’re going to be spending a little extra time in Abyss, I might as well use it to my advantage. I bet I could make us some amazing weapons with all these extra supplies. We can use all the help that we can get, and I’m sure that these will be a lot of help… I can’t wait to get started!

_You go towards the girls’ dorm room when You peek inside and see someone: Taiyin. You approach her soon afterwards._

**Taiyin:** I have to wonder how our enemies figured out that the Chalice existed in the first place. I mean, some of us have lived in Abyss for years, and we didn’t know it was something to be worried about until very recently. How could they have possibly known about it…? I guess that’s what I’m most worried about.

_You leave behind Chrysalis Row and move towards the classroom of the Ashen Wolves. On the way, You see Magnolia standing in the hallway._

**Magnolia:** I’ve been noticing the Crests thing more and more now that it’s been pointed out… I’m starting to get a bad feeling about it all. The Rite of Rising won’t work unless all four Crests necessary are present, but… I don’t know. I suppose I’m just a tad bit nervous about what’s to come.

_You enter the Ashen Wolves classroom properly and see three people inside. You approach Grey first._

**Grey:** People are willing to go rather far for important objects… That’s one thing I know like the back of my hand. Sometimes it involves thievery or rebellion… Or even murder. Whoever our enemies are, they certainly aren’t above any of these crimes, and I fear what they could do if we stand in their way.

_You approach Quinn and Eli next, seeing them in the middle of a discussion._

**Eli:** I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen people like this before…

 **Quinn:** You mean… Like our enemies?

 **Eli:** Yeah… I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s like I’ve come across them in the past at some point.

 **Quinn:** When do you think it could have been?

 **Eli:** I’m not sure, but… I get the feeling that we’ll find out eventually.

 **Quinn:** If you ever wish to discuss it in full, I would be happy to listen. It’s the least I can do for you, Eli.

 **Eli:** Thank you, Quinn. I appreciate it.

_You leave behind the Ashen Wolves classroom and head towards the Pagan Altar. Once You enter the room, You see Chris and Illona talking._

**Chris:** You know, I’ve been thinking… There are some people who bear Crests who traveled to other nations off the continent, right?

 **Illona:** I suppose so…

 **Chris:** If somebody left the continent without telling anyone that they had a Crest, that would allow them to get away without the truth ever being recorded.

 **Illona:** I guess you have a point, but I don’t see how that could possibly be relevant to the current situation.

 **Chris:** What if the four Crests needed to complete the Rite of Rising were never recorded in history since their bearers left this land behind?

 **Illona:** Oh! I get it! That would make sense… If only we knew where they had gone…

 **Chris:** Yeah… That’s going to be the hard part of solving this puzzle, it seems…

_You are almost finished with exploring Abyss when Ernst appears before You._

**Ernst:** I have found the passage we need to go through in order to reach the Chalice. Follow me.

_You trail after Ernst to the area just outside Abyss where You fought earlier. The rest of your comrades are already there. A hole has been carved in the wall after it was blasted away, likely by some force of magic._

**Raithius:** Well, that certainly appears to be the entrance we were looking for.

 **Magnolia:** Have we finished our preparations?

 **Grey:** I believe so. It’s time for us to get in there.

 **Chris:** I have a bad feeling about this…

 **Saias:** I do too, but it’s not like we really have any other choices here. We have to make sure that Abyss is kept safe in the future.

 **Tuncay:** With that said, it’s time for us to get in the hole… Huh. I never thought I would say that multiple times in my life, much less in the span of a few days.

 **Ernst:** The book says that this is the direction.

 **Gabriel:** The hole wasn’t even there before. You had to make a path in yourself.

 **Ansel:** It makes sense that the path to the Chalice would be guarded off.

 **Tsubasa:** What are we still standing around here for? Get in there.

 **Quinn:** This is the only way, it seems…

 **Sofia:** It’s just a little hole. It can’t be that bad.

 **Illona:** I would object, but I don’t think I would get far.

 **Magnus:** I’m sure that this will lead us to a glorious victory. It simply has to.

 **Taiyin:** I’ll take your word on it.

 **Eli:** For the sake of Abyss… We must press on.

_You watch the rest of your party enter the hole in the wall, and You take up the rear. You wonder what could possibly await You at the end, but You hope that it goes in your favor. You can tell that Seraphine feels the same. Deep down, part of You says this is the proper direction, but worry churns in your stomach regardless…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be My Light by SymaG slaps harder than I could ever begin to say. 
> 
> Also, Morix turns five years old today. I'm so proud of my kid. 
> 
> -Digital


	8. Chapter Three: Gold Lined in Blood II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You set out to find the Chalice of Beginnings.

_You finally exit the passageway leading towards the Chalice of Beginnings. You find yourself outside, and You raise one hand to cover your eyes. It’s rather bright, and You see the sun resting high in the sky. You guess that it is about halfway through the day, and You have to wonder how everyone else is doing back at the monastery now that You have gone missing._

**Eli:** It looks like we’re just outside the monastery…

 **Grey:** Look over there… It’s Garreg Mach.

 **Saias:** Let’s keep following the path. We’ll be there soon enough.

 **Gabriel:** Who knew that it would be so close to Abyss?

 **Quinn:** I hope that we’ll be able to acquire the Chalice without any issues.

 **Ernst:** I hope for the same, but part of me is concerned that it won’t be quite so easy.

 **Magnus:** I can feel a strong magical presence from up ahead. We’re definitely going in the right direction.

 **Chris:** I can feel it too, but… I don’t like it. To be honest, it makes me feel sort of sick. Then again, I’ve never been great with dark magic, and that’s got to be what this Chalice is made of.

 **Ansel:** This will certainly be a discovery for the ages… Imagine it. We’re making history by finding the Chalice of Beginnings.

 **Taiyin:** I hope that you’re right… I just don’t want us to be making history for the wrong reasons. 

**Tsubasa:** Only time will be able to tell. I think that we’ve done enough talking. Let’s go and find the stupid thing.

 **Illona:** I have a bad feeling about this… Listen.

 **Raithius:** I don’t hear anything.

 **Magnolia:** That’s the point… There aren’t any living creatures nearby. Everything has gone silent.

 **Sofia:** I guess that the wildlife can sense the same dark presence that Chris just mentioned.

 **Tuncay:** I suppose that no animal would want to get close to something that’s probably cursed.

 **Ernst:** Studies have shown that animals tend to avoid areas that have suffered from great strain… After a fire, birds will fly away until the area has recovered and is safe again.

 **Quinn:** In that case, I guess that this area has never been safe for the animals… I feel awful for them.

 **Saias:** There has to be something else that drove them away too… I can’t imagine that they just avoided this area from the start.

 **Magnus:** If something is guarding the Chalice, we’ll just have to get rid of it. If it’s standing in our way to find the thing, then we’ll just beat it up and throw it to the side.

 **Tsubasa:** We won’t know if there’s anything to be worried about until we get there. Let’s keep going.

 **Ansel:** Sounds like a plan to me.

_The group presses on, and Seraphine appears at your side._

**Seraphine:** I definitely know what they’re talking about… I can sense something is off about this area. If I had a body, I would probably be getting sick now. This Chalice is nowhere near as good as it sounds.

_You nod and say that You feel the same._

**Seraphine:** If it was made to resurrect the goddess, then I guess that’s fine, but… I have a bad feeling about this. After all, the rite seems to have gone wrong somehow, and if it really is capable of bringing back the dead, imagine what else it could do. Many people could get hurt if something goes wrong… This is our only option, but… I still don’t like it.

_Seraphine disappears as the group stops. You see many large golems on the horizon with many soldiers surrounding a rock at the back of the area. The path comes to an abrupt halt before this group._

**Taiyin:** It looks to me like we’ve found the area where the Chalice is hidden…

 **Grey:** If the Chalice is really hidden in here, then we’re going to have to find a way to get it out, even if it means fighting through all of these golems.

 **Gabriel:** We’ve come this far, so we can’t turn back.

 **Sofia:** So, the Chalice does have guards… If the enemies did find it, they would likely be obliterated by these golems, but they likely wouldn’t have stopped hounding Abyss.

 **Tuncay:** Overall, us coming this far was a good idea.

 **Magnolia:** If we want to get the Chalice, then we should get ready to fight. I don’t think these golems are going to just hand it over.

 **Raithius:** Fine by me. They made the mistake of getting in our way, so they’re going to face the consequences.

 **Illona:** I’m not sure about this, but… I’ll trust your judgement.

 **Chris:** Look at the golem at the front… It has a key around its waist. I’m getting the same bad feeling about that key as I am the rest of this place… I bet that it has something to do with the Chalice, though I don’t know what it could possibly mean.

 **Eli:** There’s a rock at the back of the valley as well. Maybe the key goes with the rock somehow… That could lead us to the Chalice. With that said, it’s time for us to fight. Get that key as soon as possible. As soon as we get the Chalice, we’re going to get out of here. For the sake of the people in Abyss, we must fight!

_You draw your sword and prepare for the fight ahead. You survey the area and see many golems dotting the area. The leading one seems to be the most powerful since it keeps the key, but the others are clearly strong as well. Your stomach churns into a knot, and You begin to feel the dark sensation that Seraphine spoke of to You a short few minutes before._

_Your comrades fight with everything they have for the sake of uncovering the Chalice. They do what they can to topple the golems and the other soldiers that are surrounding them. The fighters don’t seem human at all, and You realize that they are robotic. They are not human at all, instead merely shadows of living creatures who exist solely to defend the Chalice from intruders._

_When any members of your party initiate combat against the lead golem, the following dialogue plays out._

**Golem:** Defend the Chalice… Defeat the intruders… Die.

_When the golem is defeated, the following dialogue plays out. The Spellbreak Key is given to whoever defeated the golem._

**Eli:** We’ve got the key!

 **Raithius:** Now, all we need to do is get to the back of the area and stick it in that rock.

 **Magnolia:** That has to be the lock that will lead us to the Chalice.

 **Chris:** I have a bad feeling about this…

_If any other golem is fought in combat, the following dialogue plays out._

**Golem:** The Chalice will remain safe, Saint Seiros…

_When a member of your party takes the Spellbreak Key to the rock at the back of the area, the map ends, and the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** That’s it! I think we’ve got it!

 **Ernst:** What is that light?

 **Grey:** It feels odd… It’s almost like it’s calling out to me.

 **Magnus:** You aren’t the only one feeling that pull… That much is for sure…

 **Saias:** Guys, be careful out there! Don’t get too close!

 **Gabriel:** It’s like they can’t hear us at all…

 **Taiyin:** Look… There are four symbols surrounding the rock!

_You look to the rock once again and see a light has surrounded it. Four symbols appear on the different sides of the rock. The ground rumbles for a moment before the rock slides in half. A small golden chalice appears, and Eli catches it before it can hit the ground. A sword with a curvy blade also falls into the grass, but it does not look familiar to You in the slightest._

**Ansel:** It looks like we’ve succeeded in our mission… This has to be the Chalice of Beginnings. I can’t imagine that it’s anything else.

 **Quinn:** Those four symbols that appeared on the rock… They’re on the four sides of the Chalice. 

_You walk closer to where Eli is standing to examine the Chalice. The rest of your party follows your example. Sure enough, You can see four markings on the cup segment of the Chalice that show the four symbols that showed up on the rock._

**Tsubasa:** They didn’t seem to show up until after those four boys walked up to it… How strange…

 **Magnolia:** I’d say that we’re good then. That’s mission complete. Why don’t we head back to Abyss?

 **Raithius:** What about that sword? Look at it.

_Chris approaches the sword and picks it up._

**Chris:** This isn’t just any sword… It’s the Sword of Seiros!

 **Illona:** You can’t be serious!

 **Tuncay:** I suppose it does look like the sword… The art of the time depicts it as looking identical to that.

 **Sofia:** This can’t be real. The Sword of Seiros was lost to history when Saint Seiros passed away hundreds of years ago.

 **Magnolia:** It sure does look like the Sword of Seiros… Didn’t she die a few days after the Rite of Rising was carried out?

 **Raithius:** She did… I wonder if that was a coincidence. The sword was locked away with the Chalice of Beginnings, and it supposedly disappeared after her death… Something fishy is going on here.

 **Illona:** I guess that we should just take it with us… I don’t know how it got here or why, but we might as well bring it along.

 **Tuncay:** I would love to study this thing… You have to let me borrow it when we get back to Abyss, Chess.

 **Chris:** Me? What makes you think that I’m going to be holding onto it?

 **Sofia:** You have the Crest of Seiros, don’t you? You might as well keep it.

 **Chris:** I suppose I could make sure it stays safe for the time being…

 **Sofia:** Let’s head back to the monastery.

_You nod and start to follow everyone back to the monastery. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** We got the Chalice and found the Sword of Seiros… I still have a bad feeling about all that’s happened. What if there’s a reason that they were found together? Plus, there’s still that dark energy coming from the Chalice… I wonder what this could possibly mean…

_Seraphine disappears, and You continue to trail after your students. You have a bad feeling about this still, but You do not know how to describe it. However, only time will tell if You are correct in your suspicions, and You are left only to wait…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this seems similar to the original Cindered Shadows right now, but there will most certainly be differences soon. It's just a matter of time at this point.


	9. Chapter Four: A Frantic Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While returning to Abyss, your party is pursued by golems.

_You are on the way walking back to Abyss after obtaining the Chalice when You hear a distant rumbling sound. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** Do you have any idea what that sound was? It sort of sounded like the noise that those golem things made when they took a large step… You don’t think that there are more trying to follow us, do you?

_You hope that there are none pursuing You, but You turn around to investigate regardless. You see a distant shadow that is quickly growing closer, and it looks vaguely like one of the golems as Seraphine suspected. You call out to Eli._

**Eli:** Hm? What is it, Professor?

_You point out the golems._

**Ernst:** I suppose they aren’t going to let us have the Chalice that easily…

 **Grey:** What are we supposed to do about them?

 **Gabriel:** That one looks ten times stronger than any of the golems we fought while picking up the Chalice in the first place.

 **Saias:** We won’t be able to fight it then. We’ll have to outrun it.

 **Taiyin:** What if it follows us back to Abyss though?

 **Ansel:** There’s a system of doors and traps leading into Abyss from this direction though. We can lock it outside.

 **Tsubasa:** I don’t care how strong that thing is. It won’t be getting through the gates that keep Abyss hidden from the rest of these underground tunnels.

 **Magnus:** Come on then. That thing is already chasing us, and it won’t be long until it’s on top of us.

 **Quinn:** We have to keep moving. We can’t let them catch us since we need Abyss to be locked up away from them.

 **Sofia:** You mentioned that there was a system of tunnels down here that could keep them out, right?

 **Eli:** Yes. There are gates to ensure that Abyss is kept safe from whatever else lies beyond the town in these tunnels. People dare not venture too far, so gates are in place in some areas, and if we activate them, we’ll be able to close off the city.

 **Tuncay:** We didn’t notice them whenever we came down here for the first time, so I guess that we took the most direct route to get into Abyss.

 **Eli:** You did, as a matter of fact. The path from the monastery itself is simple to follow since it’s the primary path, and people need to get through monastery security in order to get down here. It’s a secure entrance.

 **Illona:** Well, if we’re really going to have to deal with these gates, then we might as well trigger them while we’re here. Where is the nearest one?

 **Eli:** It’s near here. Follow my lead.

 **Raithius:** I hear more footsteps… I think that there are other soldiers defending the golem that are coming after us as well.

 **Magnolia:** I think you’re right… We can deal with the smaller soldiers, but we won’t be able to confront that golem.

 **Chris:** I guess it’s time for us to keep going then… Lead the way, Eli!

_The group continues pressing on, faster than before. Seraphine continues to dash alongside You._

**Seraphine:** I knew that taking the Chalice felt too easy… That’s because it was! We were lured into a false sense of security, and now, we’re here being chased by those monsters… Ugh, this is such a headache! I know that we have to protect Abyss and all, but now we’re the ones bringing trouble… This damned Chalice had better be worth it!

_Seraphine disappears as You arrive at your destination. You enter the passage that leads to the first set of gates, still following after your students. The panic of the golems following You and your party is starting to set in, and You feel a shiver run up your spine._

**Magnolia:** I hope that we’ll be able to get out of here before they catch up with us… I don’t want to bring any extra trouble to Abyss.

 **Raithius:** You aren’t the only one… How many gates are there for us to pass through?

 **Eli:** I believe there are three. When we pass through, we can shut them behind us. If any enemies straggle through, we’ll have to get rid of them on the way.

 **Chris:** This is going to make my anxiety so much worse than it already is… I really hope that you all know what you’re doing.

 **Eli:** We’ll have this all under control. I’m sure of it. Just follow me, and be as careful as you can!

_Soon afterwards, the battle begins. There are many soldiers chasing after You alongside the golem, all meant to be defenders of the Chalice, but your party ignores them for the most part to press on and reach the escape point. Along the way, You encounter three gates that need to be closed behind You to make sure that no other soldiers get through._

_When You pass through the first gate and it is closed, this dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** Alright, there’s the first gate! We have to keep moving and shut the other two behind us to make sure none of them get into Abyss!

_You press onto the second gate. When You pass through the second gate and it is closed, this dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** There’s the second one closed as well… We’re almost there. After we close this third one, we’ll just need to eliminate any that managed to get through all the way, and we’ll be home free!

_You continue running and arrive at the third gate. When You pass through the third gate and it is closed, this dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** There we are… Let’s take care of the last few enemies who are still left!

_You follow Eli’s instructions and defeat the last few soldiers who managed to get through. Soon enough, You are the only ones in the area like You once were when You set out to find the Chalice in the first place. You let out a sigh of relief as You turn to face your comrades._

**Ernst:** We were lucky to get through that without any injuries…

 **Grey:** Now that those things can’t get into Abyss, I think it’s time for us to get back there.

 **Saias:** I think we should try to learn more about the Chalice while we’re at it.

 **Magnus:** It would be foolish to hand over such a precious artifact so soon after finding it.

 **Taiyin:** I get the feeling that Ernst will want to look at it more before the Church of Seiros takes it.

 **Quinn:** We all need to rest before setting out for another mission anyways…

 **Gabriel:** The sooner we get rid of the Chalice, the sooner Abyss will be safe. We can’t keep that thing forever. That would erase the point of us going to find it in the first place.

 **Ansel:** We can at least try to find out a little more about it. So much information about the object is shrouded in mystery.

 **Tsubasa:** It must be pretty important if those guys were trying to invade Abyss to get a chance to grab at it.

 **Eli:** I only ask that you be careful… We don’t want anything bad happening to it before we can give it to Lady Aisa.

 **Chris:** I know that I have some research of my own to do… I want to know why the Sword of Seiros was locked up with the Chalice in the first place.

 **Magnolia:** You aren’t the only one… Her sword went missing shortly after her death many years ago, but many were under the assumption that she was buried with it… And yet, there it was.

 **Raithius:** I don’t know why it would be there of all places. I mean, maybe the intent was to ensure the Sword of Seiros was kept out of mortal hands since it was sacred.

 **Illona:** Still, wouldn’t the church do what they could to hold onto it as an important piece of history? It doesn’t quite have the same groundbreaking power to resurrect the dead as the Chalice of Beginnings, so why hide it like that?

 **Tuncay:** I don’t know why they chose to hide it, but I don’t think that matters much now. I want to have a look at it to see what it’s made of. I’ve dreamed of looking over sacred weapons like this before, and now is finally the chance.

 **Sofia:** I guess you could look at it while the rest of us did some research to see why it was sealed away… You know, if Chris thinks that it’s alright. It is hers at the moment.

 **Chris:** Knock yourself out, Tuncay. It’s not like I’m that great with swords in the first place, so examine it as much as you wish… So long as you don’t break it, I think it will be fine.

 **Tuncay:** Thanks, Chess! Oh, this sword really is a beauty… I can see why Saint Seiros loved it so much…

 **Illona:** I can’t help but wonder what could possibly await us in the future… I hope this Chalice doesn’t lead us to more trouble. I feel like we’ve dealt with more than enough of that in the past day or so.

 **Sofia:** Now that we have the Chalice, it should be smooth sailing until we can give it back to Lady Aisa. Once it’s gone, all of these attackers will probably be aware that we don’t have it. If they were able to figure out that it was in Abyss, they likely will know when it’s gone.

 **Magnolia:** I hope you’re right, because I really don’t want to put anyone else in risk more than we already have. The people of Abyss have suffered enough if they were driven beneath the ground in the first place.

 **Raithius:** It’s finally time for us to take a deep breath and relax. We’ve accomplished our mission, and we’re going to be alright. Now, let’s get back to Abyss. We deserve this.

 **Eli:** Ernst, I’m counting on you to research more about the Chalice. I’m sure that there’s something else in the library that mentions it. If you find out anything else, please tell us.

 **Magnus:** I’m going to try and figure more out as well. After all, I can’t simply leave such an important object to be researched exclusively by another… It has immense arcane might.

 **Ernst:** I’ll do what I can to find out more. I’ll hold onto it for now, but when we’re ready to give it back to the church, I’ll gladly hand it over. It belongs to the church more than it does to us, after all.

 **Saias:** I would say that today was rather successful. Even if we had to deal with more golems than I would have liked, we were able to find the Chalice, and that’s what we wanted all along.

 **Taiyin:** Perfect. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be safe from these invaders before the week is out. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so relieved to consider a mission completed and out of the way.

 **Gabriel:** You aren’t the only one. I feel the same, and I’m sure everyone else does well. I’m certainly looking forward to relaxing after we get rid of that cursed Chalice.

 **Ansel:** Until we get rid of it, we might as well enjoy ourselves. We should celebrate! We’re free of those damn enemies, and we can live our lives just as we did before all this!

 **Tsubasa:** Abyss is coming up… We’ll be back in the heart of the city soon. We should keep talk of this to a minimum to keep from frightening any of the townsfolk.

 **Grey:** I feel the same… I hope that you enjoy the rest of your days, everyone. I’m going to make sure the people of Abyss are alright.

 **Quinn:** I will as well. Do your best to stay safe. It wouldn’t do if you fell so soon after we reached such a glorious victory.

_You follow the rest of your students as Seraphine appears._

**Seraphine:** We’ve won, but… Somehow, I feel as if this is just the beginning. I’m sure that you know what I’m talking about. It’s just… An odd feeling. I don’t know. We can deal with that later on. For now, we should settle down. I’m exhausted, and I feel as if you are as well. We should rest.

_You nod your agreement, and Seraphine vanishes. You agree that You can tell something is on the horizon, but You do not know what. You cannot help but wonder what the full story is behind the Chalice of Beginnings, but a deep part of You says that You will find the truth soon enough. Part of You fears that the answer rests somewhere in areas streaked with blood, but You know that You will not know until the proper time comes at last…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back on Cindered Shadows, baby!
> 
> I'm going to go back and forth between Cindered Shadows and supports every few days until Cindered Shadows is done. I can promise that it'll be done before the end of May for sure though. 
> 
> -Digital


	10. Chapter Five: Blood of the Four I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore Abyss after arriving back from the golem ambush.

_When You arrive back in Abyss, You begin to look around to speak with the rest of your comrades._

_You go to the library first and see a few people standing inside. The first person You approach is Ernst._

**Ernst:** I feel like I’m on the verge of a huge breakthrough regarding the Chalice. I’m so close to figuring out what these symbols on the sides of the Chalice mean. I feel like I’ve seen them before, but I don’t know where they could have come from or what they mean… How strange…

_You approach Magnus next._

**Magnus:** The Chalice holds immense magical power. I have no doubt that it is capable of resurrecting the dead, but part of me thinks that perhaps more energy swirls beneath the surface… If only we could figure out how to execute the right in the first place…

_You walk towards the final person in the library, Chris._

**Chris:** I’ve been trying to find out why the Sword of Seiros was with the Chalice of Beginnings, but I haven’t found anything of note yet… Tuncay is looking at the blade itself right now. They seem oddly fascinated with it, I must say… I hope that they figure out something about it soon.

_You leave the library and head towards the Wilting Rose Inn. You see Raithius and Sofia sitting at a table and talking inside._

**Raithius:** I really feel like I can relax now that we have the Chalice in our hands.

 **Sofia:** You are aware that this isn’t the end of our mission, right?

 **Raithius:** Of course I am, but this is a major step, and I’m proud that we were able to make it this far.

 **Sofia:** I think we all deserve a break after dealing with so many golems to recover the Chalice.

 **Raithius:** I’ll drink to that!

_You leave the Wilting Rose Inn and begin to explore Burrow Street. You see Tuncay standing near the blacksmith’s stand._

**Tuncay:** The Sword of Seiros is incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a weapon with such power… Even those who don’t subscribe to the teachings of Seiros can agree that this blade is spectacular… I doubt I’ll ever get enough of looking at this thing. It’s absolutely amazing!

_You go further down the street and run into Gabriel and Grey having a conversation._

**Gabriel:** I just want to get rid of this Chalice already. It’s caused more than enough problems for us already, and if we want to keep Abyss safe, we have to give it to the Church of Seiros.

 **Grey:** I doubt that we’ll get the chance to look at it until after Ernst and Magnus are done checking it out… You know how they can get when buried in a project.

 **Gabriel:** Still, for the sake of Abyss, we have to get it out of here.

 **Grey:** I agree completely.

_You approach the final person You see on Burrow Street, Tsubasa._

**Tsubasa:** I think that this was perhaps my grandest theft yet… We stole something that once was used by Saint Seiros herself to bring back the goddess. I doubt that any religious figure is going to like that… Here’s to hoping Lady Aisa is as reasonable as everyone says.

_You walk down to Chrysalis Row and see Ansel standing in the hallway._

**Ansel:** The Chalice of Beginnings… How incredible. Part of me wants to use its power and see what it’s truly capable of… I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until Ernst cracks the secret, and when that does happen… Well, let’s just say that I’m rather excited to see what happens.

_You enter the girls’ dorm room and see Saias speaking with Taiyin._

**Saias:** I have this horrible feeling deep in my stomach that something bad is going to come of this.

 **Taiyin:** I know! I can’t get the image of that golem chasing us out of my head. I know that we left that thing behind when we locked up Abyss, but…

 **Saias:** It still feels like we’re being watched. Plus, now that we have the Chalice, Abyss could be in even more danger if somebody finds out.

 **Taiyin:** Just thinking about this is giving me a headache… Church, please take us out of our misery.

_You head towards the Ashen Wolves classroom and see Eli and Quinn standing together._

**Eli:** You know… All this talk of resurrecting the dead has me thinking…

 **Quinn:** There’s someone you wish that you could bring back, is there not?

 **Eli:** Yeah… I lost everyone that I knew before I came to Abyss, and… I guess I want the chance to speak with them again… Even if it’s only to say goodbye.

 **Quinn:** I understand… Grief is difficult to cope with, and this Chalice seems as if it could solve all those problems.

 **Eli:** There’s someone you wish you could bring back too.

 **Quinn:** Yes… There is.

 **Eli:** I’m sorry for your loss.

 **Quinn:** I’m sorry for yours as well.

_You walk towards the Pagan Altar, seeing Magnolia and Illona speaking when You arrive._

**Magnolia:** So much has happened in the past few hours… It’s been less than two days, but it feels as if it’s been much longer.

 **Illona:** Everything feels longer and shorter at the same time…

 **Magnolia:** Exactly!

 **Illona:** I don’t know how everyone is going to react when we go back… We have to head up to the monastery again sometime, but I don’t want to leave the people of Abyss until this has been resolved.

 **Magnolia:** I feel the same… I’m going to stay with them as long as they need me to. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you, since I know you wanted to go back as soon as we came down here, but…

 **Illona:** If you’re going to stay, then so will I. They deserve that much after suffering for so long.

_After leaving the Pagan Altar, You head back to the room You have been staying in temporarily, curious as to what will happen when the secrets of the Chalice of Beginnings finally come to light…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me so long to do because typing while on VC is the worst idea anyone has ever had
> 
> -Digital


	11. Chapter Five: Blood of the Four II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your forces fend off another invasion after learning of four new Crests.

_While You are in your room, Eli appears in the doorway._

**Eli:** Ernst thinks that he’s figured out the truth behind the Chalice of Beginnings. We should head to the library to see what’s going on and hear what he has found.

_Eli leaves, and You follow him silently. Seraphine appears next to You._

**Seraphine:** If he’s really found the truth behind how to work the Chalice of Beginnings, this could be a huge breakthrough! Maybe he knows what the symbols on the side of the cup mean… I get the feeling that they’re important, but I’m not quite sure how yet…

_Seraphine disappears as You arrive at the library. Everyone else is already inside, and Ernst is standing in front of the Chalice, which rests on top of a small table at the center of the circle made of your comrades._

**Ernst:** I believe that I have figured out the full extent of the Chalice’s history.

 **Magnus:** If you know it, then tell us already. There’s no reason to hold back.

 **Ernst:** The Chalice of Beginnings was involved with the Rite of Rising. However, this information doesn’t help us until we figure out how to carry out the Rite of Rising.

 **Eli:** If your words are to be believed, you’ve figured out how to execute the rite, yes?

 **Saias:** I don’t know if I should be frightened or happy that you managed to figure everything out. 

**Ernst:** I did determine the proper way to execute the right, as a matter of fact. It involves these four symbols on the side, though I’ll get to those in a moment.

 **Taiyin:** So… How is it done?

 **Ernst:** It involves the blood of four figures known as the Four Apostles. When they give their blood to the Chalice of Beginnings, it has the power to grant life to someone who has died. The original purpose of the Rite of Rising was to bring back the goddess, but the first attempt to resurrect her many centuries ago failed.

 **Grey:** I see… What makes the Four Apostles so special though?

 **Gabriel:** We already knew all of this when we first heard about the Rite of Rising before we set out to find the Chalice in the first place.

 **Ernst:** They had Crests, and those four Crests are engraved into the sides of the Chalice. If you look closely, you can see them. I did as much research as I possibly could to figure out where the Crest came from, and I finally found an answer.

 **Quinn:** Where do the Crests originate from then?

 **Ernst:** The Crests were four special ones that were erased from history due to their influence in the Rite of Rising. Their names are the Crests of Runo, Camore, Xiamen, and Ethrend. Only one book in the library had their names. All of the others had the pages about these Crests ripped out, so there was a deliberate effort to cover up their existence, likely to conceal the truth about the Rite of Rising.

 **Tsubasa:** If everyone found out about it, thieves would be lining up endlessly to try and take it for themselves. The power to bring back the dead is as unsettling as it is appealing.

 **Ernst:** However, the Crests are needed in order to execute the right. Not all blood will work. These four are the only ones with the power to bring back the goddess. If the Chalice is filled with their blood near the body of the person that is meant to be resurrected, then the person who died should be brought back to the world of the living.

 **Ansel:** What about these Crests though? Is there anything else we need to know about them?

 **Ernst:** The symbols… I’m sure that a few of you will find them rather familiar. First, this one… This is the Crest of Ethrend. If some of you have been watching closely, you would know that this is the Crest that I have. It has activated a few times in battle.

 **Chris:** I knew that the unfamiliar Crests had to mean something… You can’t possibly be saying that there are people here who have other Crests from this group though, right?

 **Magnolia:** If there are more than one of you gathered in one place, things could get dangerous.

 **Raithius:** You could be used to carry out this ritual, and if that’s the case… Well, taking so much blood could be dangerous.

 **Ernst:** I’m afraid that your worries are as real as possible. This next one, the Crest of Camore… This is the Crest that Magnus has.

 **Magnus:** How curious… Perhaps that is why I feel so attracted to this mysterious Chalice.

 **Ernst:** Grey’s Crest is the Crest of Xiamen, the third of the four.

 **Grey:** Three of us together? The only way this could grow more ridiculous would be if all four were here.

 **Ernst:** In that case, it gets more ridiculous, because Eli’s Crest is the Crest of Runo.

 **Eli:** No way…

 **Gabriel:** Are they Major or Minor Crests?

 **Ernst:** Based off the high chances of their activation, I’m going to say that they’re all Major Crests. That only increases the effectiveness of the Rite of Rising, so there’s a chance we could duplicate the situation with the original ritual with a successful ending this time.

 **Taiyin:** This is dangerous… All of you are gathered in one place, so if someone comes to get the Chalice…

 **Saias:** They would have all the blood they need in order to carry out the right.

 **Quinn:** It’s all the more reason for us to remain on our guard.

 **Ernst:** The bearers of these Crests all left the continent years ago. The Apostle of Runo went to Sreng. Camore’s location was lost. Ethrend traveled to Morfis, and Xiamen went to Dagda. When the Apostles disappeared, the Crests were erased from history to ensure nobody went after them with hopes of reproducing the rite again.

 **Ansel:** I doubt their bloodlines were even supposed to continue… If they didn’t have children, their bloodlines would have ended to keep this power out of the wrong hands.

 **Ernst:** I assume that you are correct in guessing such… Regardless, this is all that you need to know on the matter. We have the Crests needed to execute the rite, but we shouldn’t do such. It failed last time, and I’m not sure it would work well if we tried to pull it off for ourselves.

 **Tsubasa:** Now that we’ve figured out how to execute the rite, we should get rid of this thing. All four of you are gathered together, and if somebody tries to get the Chalice, they could grab you along the way and use you to carry out this twisted ritual. It could get you killed.

 **Eli:** I agree with Tsubasa. We have to make sure that the people of Abyss are kept safe, and if we’re here with the Chalice, we’re dangerous. We’re fine on our own, but with the Chalice…

 **Ernst:** Exactly. As soon as we get the chance to do so, we should get rid of the Chalice. Let’s go up to the surface and show Lady Aisa what we’ve found.

_A sudden explosion can be heard._

**Eli:** What was that?!

 **Ansel:** It sounds like we’ve got more unwanted company.

 **Magnus:** Could it be the golems?

 **Grey:** I doubt they got through the barrier…

 **Gabriel:** It must be more of these unknown invaders.

 **Saias:** We keep getting attacked…

 **Taiyin:** When will it end?

 **Quinn:** Not yet, it seems.

 **Tsubasa:** It seems we’re being called to defend Abyss yet again.

 **Ernst:** I’m bringing the Chalice to make sure it isn’t stolen. Come on!

_The group runs out of the library, and You trail after them. Seraphine appears beside You and runs next to You as You follow Eli and the rest of your comrades to the site of the explosive sound._

**Seraphine:** I have a bad feeling about this… I think that Abyss is under attack again. Hasn’t that happened enough in the past few days?! I feel like we seriously deserve a break at this point!

_You nod your agreement. The constant fighting is starting to drag You down, though You are starting to doubt if the battles will ever end._

**Seraphine:** Sofia said that there was a chance they would find a way to know if we had found the Chalice or not… Perhaps she was right. It seems all the people of Abyss are trusted, so… Perhaps they heard the ruckus caused by the golems and realized that we had been there to take the Chalice.

_You agree that this is a likely explanation._

**Seraphine:** We’re going to have to fight again to get rid of them… Maybe we can chase after them this time. We can hopefully eliminate them once and for all, assuming we have the energy to give chase. If we got rid of their base, wherever that is, they wouldn’t be able to attack Abyss anymore, and the people of this city would finally be safe.

_You tell Seraphine that You hope this is the case._

**Seraphine:** Now, let’s investigate what caused that noise. I really hope that it isn’t the signal of another attempted invasion, but I feel like we all know the answer to the question of where the sound came from.

_You hate to admit it, but Seraphine is right. She disappears as You arrive at the source of the sound. You realize that You have been led to another segment of the underground tunnels leading into Abyss, though You didn’t realize since You were distracted while talking to Seraphine._

**Eli:** This is where the noise came from… Look!

_You follow the direction of Eli’s pointed finger and see that a small group of fighters has appeared. They all have pale skin and white hair like the other fighters that have invaded Abyss in the past._

**Ernst:** There are more of them?

 **Grey:** All the more reason for us to get rid of that damned cup already…

 **Magnus:** The Chalice is an object of immense magical might. It would be best if you didn’t just call it a cup. That’s an insult to its arcane power and our bloodlines.

 **Saias:** Don’t talk about it when the enemy is probably after it! They’re standing right there!

 **Taiyin:** If they’re going to insist on still going after Abyss, then that’s on them. They’re going to have to deal with the consequences of their actions.

 **Gabriel:** If they’re going to come in here again, then fine. It’s time to throw them around like the trash they are for endangering the people of Abyss.

 **Ansel:** I don’t know how they knew that we had the thing, but it doesn’t matter now. We just need to get them away from Abyss as soon as possible.

 **Tsubasa:** I agree. We can research that later when we have more time and aren’t staring the enemy in the face.

 **Quinn:** We should get ready for the coming battle.

 **Raithius:** It’s almost like these enemies never end… Seriously, where the hell are they coming from?

 **Sofia:** Wherever it is, I doubt it’s anywhere good. I bet that we’ll be figuring it out soon enough, but for now, let’s get rid of them.

 **Magnolia:** We should do our best to keep the sword safe as well… I don’t think we should let them get that either.

 **Illona:** Who has it right now?

 **Tuncay:** I do. Chess was letting me borrow it to see what power it had.

 **Chris:** Don’t let it out of your sight, Tun. I don’t want to imagine what might happen if they realize we have the sword. It would be pretty easy to deduce that we got it in the same place as the Chalice from there.

 **Illona:** I’m glad that we’ve covered all our bases. How about we get ready for this fight already?

 **Eli:** I agree. It’s time for us to drive these fiends out of Abyss. The fight begins now!

_At Eli’s direction, your allies prepare for the battle at hand. The area is dark, and You can tell that it is a labyrinth without needing to examine it too closely. There are enemies everywhere, all with pale skin and white hair as a stark contrast to the darkness around them. You can already tell that You will need to get rid of all of them if You wish to ensure that Abyss is safe from invasion._

_The fight breaks out not long after. You fight as hard as You possibly can, refusing to let the enemies break into Abyss and visit any harm upon the innocent people living there. You can tell that your allies are thinking something similar, as they all fight to the best of their ability to eliminate the foes that have come after Abyss._

_You can sense something is off about your enemies, but You don’t realize fully what it is until one of them activates a Crest._

**Magnolia:** Wait… I’m not the only one who saw that, right? That flash of light and symbol…

 **Raithius:** That was definitely a Crest. There’s no mistaking it. I’d know the appearance of Crest activation anywhere.

 **Chris:** How do they have Crests? I thought that most Crest bearers were at the monastery or somehow affiliated with Garreg Mach.

 **Illona:** The church would be aware if there were this many extra people with Crests, but… We never heard anything about this.

 **Sofia:** If they really do have Crests, we’ll still have to defeat them. That doesn’t change the mission at hand.

 **Tuncay:** She has a point. We can ask questions later. For now, it’s time to battle!

_The battle continues, and your forces continue to press on. Throughout the fight, many enemies activate various Crests, and it seems that your enemy has access to most known Crests. You are unsure as to how they got their hands on such prestigious blood, but You do your best to brush it off. You also notice that none of them have the Crests of Flames, Xiamen, Runo, Camore, or Ethrend. Unio is absent as well, though You are unsure as to why these specific Crests would be absent from the forces You are fighting against._

_Eventually, only one enemy remains, and You are sure that this is the commander. His name is Vesh. Your forces close in on him with hopes of finishing the battle._

_If You initiate combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Vesh:** You insist on opposing us and hiding the sacred object? You are truly foolish… We will get our hands on it no matter what you do to stand in our way, even if we have to soak our hands in your blood to do so!

_If Chris initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Chris:** These Crests… Where did they come from?

 **Vesh:** You should be rather familiar with the subject, Faixnoye…

 **Chris:** I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m not going to let this continue. You’re putting the people of Abyss in danger, and you’re making a huge mistake in doing so. You’ll pay for that now!

_If Magnolia initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** Where did all of these Crests come from? I want answers. Now.

 **Vesh:** It doesn’t matter where they came from. All that I care about is taking the Chalice for myself. I’m sure that you have it, so hand it over.

 **Magnolia:** I don’t have it, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you. Now, step aside or suffer under the power of my blade!

_If Illona initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Illona:** So many people here have Crests that they shouldn’t possess…

 **Vesh:** Isn’t that rather peculiar?

 **Illona:** I’m not going to grace you with an answer to that question.

 **Vesh:** You of all people have no right to call such a thing strange.

 **Illona:** Get out of my way. You’re hurting the people of Abyss, and I won’t stand for it.

 **Vesh:** Alright. If you don’t want to talk, then we’ll simply let our weapons do the chatting for us.

_If Raithius initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Raithius:** I can tell that you’ve been involved with some twisted dealings… How else would you get so many Crests?

 **Vesh:** It doesn’t matter at all what I’ve been doing. I just want the Chalice. Give it to me or face the consequences.

 **Raithius:** You’re clearly underestimating us and our motivation to protect this place. You’re going to suffer for coming here, and that much is a promise.

_If Eli initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** What is your goal? Why do you keep coming after Abyss?

 **Vesh:** You must be aware of the power that rests here… Give us the artifact.

 **Eli:** I will do no such thing. We don’t have whatever you’re looking for.

 **Vesh:** It would be best if you didn’t lie to me.

 **Eli:** I would never… Now, back away from Abyss… Otherwise, I’ll have to use deadly force.

 **Vesh:** Bring it on, child.

_If Ernst initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ernst:** Tell me… Do you want the Chalice?

 **Vesh:** Why else would we come to such a sad, rundown area?

 **Ernst:** Hmph… No need to be rude. Your willingness to harm others in the pursuit of power is disturbing. If you won’t see the harm of what you are doing, I will show you with sheer force!

_If anyone else initiates combat against Vesh, the following dialogue plays out._

**Vesh:** You shouldn’t defend this place any longer. We won’t stop attacking until after we have what we want, so make this easier on all of us by handing it over now!

_When Vesh is defeated, the following dialogue._

**Vesh:** How have we failed…? At least others will come… And they will succeed… Abyss will not survive…!

_After the battle, You stand with your comrades and students._

**Eli:** The remaining fighters are retreating…

 **Ernst:** What should we do?

 **Grey:** If we want them to stop coming after Abyss, we should chase after them.

 **Saias:** That could be dangerous though.

 **Magnus:** We’ve dealt with them leading up to this point. I’m sure that we can finish them off.

 **Taiyin:** If we want Abyss to be kept safe, then we have to get rid of them.

 **Gabriel:** Then let’s follow them already. We can get rid of those that we catch up with and follow whoever is left back to their headquarters.

 **Quinn:** I’m not sure if this is really a good idea… Something could happen to harm Abyss while we’re gone.

 **Ansel:** We can’t just sit on our toes if we want to make sure that the people there stay safe.

 **Tsubasa:** I think we should follow them.

 **Chris:** I trust that you all have solid judgement here. If you think this will keep Abyss safer, then we’ll follow you.

 **Tuncay:** If we can still make sure that the Chalice is kept safe while following them, this might be the best option.

 **Magnolia:** I agree. Everyone here will follow you no matter what choice you make.

 **Illona:** Maybe we can figure out why they want the Chalice so badly while we’re at it.

 **Raithius:** What do you say about it, Eli? You’re the one who’s going to make the final call at the end of the day, so tell us what the plan is going to be.

 **Eli:** Let’s follow them. We know all that we need to about the Chalice, so there’s no reason to remain here.

 **Sofia:** Their issues seem to be with us since we’ve been the ones to thwart their plans all this time.

 **Eli:** Exactly. I’m hoping that they’ll stay away from Abyss since we’re the ones they likely want. Now, let’s give chase before they disappear from sight. I don’t want to lose them when this could be our last chance to pursue them without endangering Abyss further.

_Your comrades start to follow after Eli, and You do the same. Seraphine appears at your side as You continue to trail after them._

**Seraphine:** The time has come to follow them, it seems… I think we’re getting closer to finding out the answers we need. I just hope that nothing goes too wrong while we’re doing this. I’m praying that Abyss won’t see any gruesome fate while we’re away and can’t protect it. I don’t know what we’ll do if that happens… Only time will tell what will happen, I suppose.

_Seraphine disappears as You keep following your fellow fighters. You hope that nothing bad happens while You are out trying to save Abyss from these strange invaders. You know that they want something with the Chalice, but the details are still unclear. You are sure that You will find an answer, but You cannot help but feel nervous about the battles to come…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't type this instead of focusing on Fates what are you talking about
> 
> -Digital


	12. Chapter Six: Weaving White and Crimson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You maintain your pursuit against Abyss' invaders.

_A few hours later, You are still on the move with your party. You are starting to grow tired, but You press on regardless since You know that there are matters of import waiting in your future. You look to Eli, who is leading the group, waiting for him to say something._

**Eli:** We’ve been going for quite some time, but… It seems our enemies have no intentions of slowing down.

 **Gabriel:** They don’t want to be caught? Who could have guessed?

 **Grey:** Sarcasm aside, we should be ready. As soon as they stop, we should expect that they have a backup plan. They aren’t just going to quit moving out of nowhere, so we should be ready for them to attack again.

 **Magnus:** If they think they can stand up to us, they’ll be mistaken.

 **Saias:** For all we know, they aren’t aiming to wipe us out completely. There are other ways for them to accomplish their goals.

 **Ernst:** If they’re after the Chalice, total destruction won’t be necessary. All they need is to catch us off-guard long enough for them to take it.

 **Taiyin:** They won’t be able to use it even if they do get their hands on it, so… Maybe we have nothing to worry about.

 **Ansel:** We happen to have the four people that they need to complete the Rite of Rising right here though. Isn’t that rather important?

 **Tsubasa:** If they take the four of them along with the Chalice, then we’re going to have more problems on our hands than we can count.

 **Quinn:** Plus, there’s the matter that the enemy seems to have access to a large amount of Crests. 

**Raithius:** Quinn has a point. If they have all of the Crests that we’ve seen so far, who’s to say that they don’t have access to bearers for the four that are needed for this rite?

 **Sofia:** Even if they don’t, we have people here that can fill that role without any issues.

 **Illona:** In other words, we all might die if the Chalice falls into the wrong hands. Great! That’s a lovely mental image!

 **Magnolia:** Deep breaths, Illona. We’re all going to be fine.

 **Tuncay:** Don’t worry, Million. I’ll do what I can to keep you safe.

 **Chris:** Personally, I can’t wait to get rid of that stupid Chalice… It makes my stomach churn when I look at it for too long. I guess it’s the dark magic.

 **Magnus:** It does give off rather unique energy…

 **Ernst:** Unique doesn’t even begin to describe it… After this is over, I’ll have to run a few extra tests on it.

 **Saias:** Please don’t go all wild with excitement when we’re in this situation, Ernst… We have bigger things to take care of.

 **Grey:** Speaking of, do you guys hear that?

 **Gabriel:** Hear what? I don’t hear anything.

 **Eli:** I think that’s the point… It got really quiet all of a sudden.

 **Taiyin:** I don’t even hear the footsteps of the people we were following anymore…

 **Quinn:** I don’t see them either.

 **Ansel:** If you ask me, this is an ambush. We have to be ready.

 **Tsubasa:** Great. This is just what we needed when we’re already in a rotten situation as it is.

 **Raithius:** Well, if they’re really going to try and attack us right now, then that’s on them. They’re making a mistake, and we’ll just have to show them how much they messed up!

 **Sofia:** That sounds like the only logical conclusion to me!

 **Illona:** If you guys are sure that this is for the best, then okay… I’ll do what I can.

 **Magnolia:** It seems as if this is our only option, as much as I hate to say it… Let’s take care of them as soon as possible.

 **Chris:** Agreed… Let’s just get it over with.

 **Tuncay:** On with the show, I say! They’ll have to deal with the consequences themselves!

_The battle begins soon afterward. Your party is positioned at the center of a large ring formed by the enemy units. Your goal is to rout the enemy as soon as possible. With this goal in mind, your party fights as hard as possible to get rid of the soldiers. There is no notable commander among the group, something that strikes You as odd, but You are not given the chance to voice your thoughts on such during the battle. You focus as much as You can during the fight, knowing that your students are doing the same and are counting on You for backup._

_Afterwards, You stand with your comrades, looking over the horizon. A few of the remaining fighters are retreating, and they are all traveling in the same direction. Coincidentally, it is the direction that the fighters from the previous battle have been traveling towards this whole time. Everyone else appears to have caught onto such as well._

**Eli:** It looks like we have our direction once again…

 **Ernst:** I must say, I find it odd that there were no leaders during this battle…

_You voice your concerns about the same subject._

**Saias:** I can’t help but wonder… There had to have been a reason that everyone charged at us without any real sense of direction, right?

 **Grey:** I’m sure of it, but… What in the world could that reasoning be?

 **Gabriel:** Maybe their real commander is lying in wait nearby… After all, that would certainly explain how they were able to pull off such a coordinated attack without a general in sight.

 **Magnus:** If that’s the case, we’ll have to find that general and kick them all over the place for causing so many problems for us.

 **Taiyin:** I bet that they’re all retreating in the direction of this unknown general. That would explain why they’re going the same way.

 **Quinn:** That would make sense for why the remaining fighters from the earlier battle were coming in this direction as well…

 **Ansel:** Then what are we still standing around here for? We have places to be, people to stop!

 **Tsubasa:** I agree. They won’t leave Abyss alone until we use force.

 **Raithius:** I must admit, I have more than a few questions for the people responsible for all this… 

**Magnolia:** I feel the same way. How did they get all those Crests? On top of that, I must know… Why was the Sword of Seiros sealed with the Chalice?

 **Chris:** I wish I could tell you… I’m just as curious on the matter as you are. There has to be some reason, but I’m clueless as to what it could be.

 **Sofia:** If these guys knew enough about the Chalice to be sure that it was sealed in the area around Abyss, then maybe they’ll have an answer.

 **Tuncay:** Getting it out of them is going to be the hard part. I somehow doubt that they’ll just give us the answers we want if we ask nicely. Invading enemies aren’t usually that nice.

 **Illona:** In fact, if they were that nice, I would be seriously worried. They haven’t been kind to us leading up to now, and a sudden change of heart would be more than simply suspicious.

_You say that You will likely need to do some work on your own if You wish to find the answer, but You are confident that You will reach it soon._

**Eli:** I hope that you’re right, Professor. Either way, we won’t know for sure until we arrive at the location that the enemy has been fleeing toward. Maybe it’s their base of operations or something similar.

 **Ernst:** If it is, we should break through their ranks and get rid of their leader. Without someone to guide them, maybe they’ll pull back their attack on Abyss.

 **Magnus:** Plus, it’ll teach them not to mess with the people of Abyss. If they try again, there’s a lot of bloodshed in their future, and that’s putting it lightly.

 **Grey:** I just hope that we aren’t walking right into a trap… Maybe they were expecting us to follow after them towards their center of operations.

 **Gabriel:** If that’s the case, we should be as careful as possible. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to exercise as much caution as possible until we’re sure that it’s safe.

 **Saias:** What I’m hearing here is that we aren’t allowed to take a deep breath and relax until all of this is over… I mean, I’m not surprised, but I’m still a bit disappointed.

 **Taiyin:** We can get back into a routine after we know for sure that we’re safe and have gotten rid of the Chalice. Once the church takes it off our hands, we’ll all be safe again.

 **Ansel:** I know I’m looking forward to going back to normality again. This is a bit too much action for me. Maybe I prefer simply teaching in a classroom without any issues.

 **Tsubasa:** If I recall correctly, that didn’t happen much, if at all, before this went down. You were a teacher, yes, but… Your teaching methods were rather unique, I believe.

 **Quinn:** Either way, I don’t think now is the time to be debating such things. We have more important matters to take care of right now, yes?

 **Raithius:** They’re going to see us right before they fall collectively. They made a mistake by attacking us, and we’re going to show how much they messed up.

 **Sofia:** Exactly! Now, why don’t we focus on getting there before we talk about what we’re going to be doing to them?

 **Illona:** That sounds like a good idea. It gives me time to plan for the inevitable fight filled with blood and gore too, so it’s a perfect plan.

 **Magnolia:** Your hopelessness aside, we got this. You should trust us a little bit more. We can’t be cocky, but we need to have some faith before going in there.

 **Tuncay:** Look at us, a merry band of travelers going out to beat the crap out of some invaders. This is the stuff of legend.

 **Chris:** And hopefully, it will give us information about the actual artifacts of legend… Goddess, please have mercy on our souls.

_The group keeps moving, and Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** You have to feel it too… I don’t know how to describe it, but I have this bad feeling about all of this. Maybe we’re walking right into certain doom. I don’t know. The Chalice makes me feel like I’m going to throw up, and I don’t even have a stomach to cause that problem in the first place !

_You nod._

**Seraphine:** Honestly, I just want to get this over with. Let’s go in and out and then go back to Abyss. From there, we should give Lady Aisa the Chalice, and we can go back to life from before all of this.

_You tell her that You will be able to do that soon._

**Seraphine:** Not soon enough, if you ask me…

_Seraphine disappears, and You are left wondering more about what has been happening as of late. You feel nervous about what is coming as well, but You are hiding it better than Seraphine. No matter what happens, You will do what You can to defend your students, no matter what it takes…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I typed this in between working on my Appmon fan dub and watching the show and oh my god I am so hyped up right now gotta watch anime yall
> 
> -Digital


	13. Chapter Seven: Bitter Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another conflict arises between your party and the mysterious enemy soldiers.

_You are continuing to follow the group that has been attacking Abyss alongside your students and the Ashen Wolves. You pause when You see a building off in the distance._

**Eli:** Is that what I think it is?

 **Ernst:** It’s most certainly a building of some sort, but I haven’t the slightest idea what it could contain.

 **Grey:** If they’ve been running off in this direction, maybe they were trying to get there.

 **Saias:** Now that we have a goal in sight, all that’s left for us to do is surge forward and take them out once and for all.

 **Magnus:** They won’t stand a chance before our shared might. It’s just a matter of time before they collapse under our power.

 **Taiyin:** Try not to get too cocky, alright? They’ve been causing so many problems for us up to this point for a reason, and I doubt they’re going to go down without a fight.

 **Gabriel:** I’m with Taiyin on this one. We’ll have to be as careful as we possibly can when we’re fighting them if they really are in there.

 **Quinn:** If I had to guess, I would say that they are expecting us. They have let us follow them this far, so they have to be planning something for when we arrive at the building.

 **Ansel:** In other words, stay on your toes, everyone. It simply would not do if you went and died when we’re so close to victory.

 **Tsubasa:** I’m surprised that we haven’t found ourselves deep in any issues leading up to this point, honestly…

 **Eli:** It probably just means that they’re planning something for when we arrive there properly… We’ll have to be as careful as possible if we want to avoid getting hurt.

 **Raithius:** Hold on for a moment… I think I see enemies coming our way again.

 **Illona:** How many times does this need to happen? It’s starting to get downright frustrating.

 **Sofia:** It seems they aren’t in the mood to wait patiently to potentially get their hands on the Chalice.

 **Magnolia:** Last time we fought them, there was no commander in sight… As far as I can tell, they’re being led by someone, so it seems that we’ve found the one we were searching for from earlier.

 **Tuncay:** Well, if they think that they can get away with this more easily just because they have a boss around this time, they’re sorely mistaken.

 **Chris:** I guess we’ll just have to fight them again and see where it leads us…

_You nod your agreement before turning your attention to the horizon. Sure enough, a group of soldiers is marching away from the building in the distance, and You are sure that they are involved with the recent attacks on Abyss. You draw your sword and hold it tightly in preparation for the coming battle._

**Eli:** Professor, we’ll listen to whatever you want us to do, but you had better make up your mind fast. They’re approaching us much faster than I anticipated.

_You say that You will hold your ground for the battle and press forward after the assault has drawn to a conclusion._

**Raithius:** I had a feeling you would say something like that. How about we get ready to speak with the enemy commanders? Part of me says that there’s a chance they’ll want to talk to us about something.

 **Illona:** I just hope they don’t use that as a chance to pull anything that could be used against us… We’ll have to be careful.

 **Magnolia:** I agree completely… They look exactly the same as everyone else that we’ve encountered lately. They all have pale skin, almost like they’re ghosts… It’s a haunting sight, if I’m being perfectly honest.

 **Sofia:** It seems Raithius was right. The commanders are stepping away from the rest of the group, but why would they do such a thing? I don’t get it.

_You look in the direction of the newcomers, and You see that Sofia is correct. There are two people stepping away from the group. The first of the two is a woman with pale skin and brown eyes tinted with red. Her hair is lengthy, white and curled. Her body is covered with various runes and symbols carved in black. Her outfit was entirely dark, and a sword hung around her waist. If You didn’t know better, You would have suspected her to be a ghost as Magnolia said a mere few moments before._

_The second person stepping forward is considerably younger than the woman. He is just as pale as she is, and his hair is also white, though it is cut rather roughly. His eyes are a striking icy blue color. His body is also covered in the black symbols, though they are far more intense than those on the skin of his companion. He wears a blue hood that seems to swallow a majority of his body._

**Tuncay:** You two must be the enemy generals of this group. What the hell do you want? You had better step back before we’re forced to use more drastic measures to make you retreat.

 **Chris:** I-I don’t know what your goal is, but you aren’t going to get away with it after all you did to the people of Abyss!

 **Druilla:** Calm yourselves. My name is Druilla Zephirah, and this is Cyrus Norelli. We may appear to be your enemies, but we are not part of the group you seek.

 **Cyrus:** Not willingly anyways…

 **Ernst:** I must ask what you mean when you say things of that nature.

 **Grey:** You had better not be lying to us.

 **Druilla:** We are here only to collect an item we believe that you have in your possession… The Chalice of Beginnings.

 **Cyrus:** We need it as soon as possible.

 **Magnus:** As if we would give something so important over to people like you!

 **Saias:** You have others with you… You’re planning to attack us.

 **Taiyin:** Don’t bother lying when we all know the truth! It’s plain as day to see!

 **Druilla:** We can go about this peacefully if you will just give us the Chalice.

 **Cyrus:** There are people in there who will do anything to get it… They’ll kill whoever gets in their way, and that includes both us and your group.

 **Druilla:** If you wish to leave this place with your lives, I ask that you give us the Chalice now and spare the bloodshed.

 **Gabriel:** I’m afraid that we can do no such thing as give you the Chalice.

 **Quinn:** It is not meant to be in the hands of your group.

 **Cyrus:** Are you really asking for us to fight you…? We don’t want to do that! We’ll let you go if you just give it to us!

 **Ansel:** We have no reason to believe that is the case. How can we be sure that you’re telling us the truth?

 **Tsubasa:** There’s no way to be positive. If you’re really so understanding, then realize why we’re doubting you in this way.

 **Cyrus:** Druilla, what do we do?

 **Druilla:** We need to get the Chalice back to Anaxa no matter what… We have no other options, so if we have to fight, fine.

 **Cyrus:** I don’t know about this… Are you sure that we can handle it?

 **Druilla:** We’ve been fine before, haven’t we? We can handle it this time as well.

 **Cyrus:** Well… If you’re positive that everything will be okay, then… I trust you.

 **Druilla:** If you will not surrender, battle is the only option.

 **Raithius:** I doubt that peace was ever a real option in the first place. I find myself believing that you were planning on turning on us from the very beginning.

 **Cyrus:** You’re rather harsh, aren’t you…? Ugh, Druilla, let’s just get this over with already… I’m tired of standing around here talking about violence. It’s making me feel sick.

 **Sofia:** While they’re talking, we should get ready to fight as well. We have business to take care of if we want to save Abyss.

 **Magnolia:** The enemies have only come at us from the front, so we aren’t surrounded. We’re on about the same level strategically.

 **Illona:** Good to know that we aren’t going to be surrounded and absolutely destroyed in the coming battle.

 **Tuncay:** We wouldn’t be going down without a fight anyways. They might be claiming hesitation, but we won’t be holding back in the slightest.

 **Chris:** We’re waiting for your signal, Professor. After all, you know best as our teacher and all that fun stuff.

 **Druilla:** Everyone, prepare for the coming fight! Seize the Chalice by any means necessary! I don’t know which one of them has it, but Anaxa is counting on us to bring it back so that the rite can be carried out!

 **Seraphine:** Anaxa… I wonder if that’s the person who’s behind all this. I suppose that can wait until after the fight ends. After all, we have more important business to take care of at the moment.

_You nod your agreement as the battle begins officially. You see many fighters behind Cyrus and Druilla, though the leaders eventually shift to stand at the back of the group. All of the individual soldiers possess various Crests much like the previous invaders who have attempted to destroy Abyss, and You assume that the same applies to Cyrus and Druilla. The same Crests that have been missing in the past are not present once again. You fight alongside your students and the Ashen Wolves to press through the enemy lines and hopefully defeat Cyrus and Druilla, figuring that the enemy forces will scatter as soon as the two commanders have been defeated._

_Soon enough, You find yourself approaching the two leaders of the opposing group. You are sure that their defeat is near._

_If You initiate combat with Druilla, the following dialogue plays out._

**Druilla:** Please, call off your forces. We truly do not wish to fight you… But if you refuse to aid us in our cause, then we will do what we must in order to survive.

_If Eli initiates combat with Druilla, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** The people you’ve been working with have been attacking Abyss… Why? Why do you insist on hurting innocent people for your own gain?

 **Druilla:** I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want to have to resort to violence in order to get what we wanted…. I don’t even want what they do, but… I don’t have an option in how I act on this battlefield, I’m afraid to say.

 **Eli:** If you want to help this, then back out as soon as you have the ability. It’s that simple.

 **Druilla:** I wish life was always as plain as that, but… Such is not the case. Please forgive me for what I’m about to do… though I doubt I’ll ever forgive myself should it come to an irreversible sin…

_If anyone else initiates combat with Druilla, the following dialogue plays out._

**Druilla:** I’m sorry that it has to be this way. I truly did not wish to fight on this day, but… It appears I have no other choice.

_When Druilla is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Druilla:** I’m sorry for causing so much trouble… I wish it didn’t have to be this way…

_If You initiate combat with Cyrus, the following dialogue plays out._

**Cyrus:** You’re the leader of this group, aren’t you? Tell everyone to back off. We don’t want to do anything to hurt you. Druilla says that stuff’s awful, and I believe her, but if you won’t… I guess you’ve made up your mind. It’s your loss.

_If Eli initiates combat with Cyrus, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** I don’t understand why it’s necessary to lead so many violent attacks on Abyss! What did we ever do to hurt you?

 **Cyrus:** It isn’t really what we want. There are other people out there who want things, and we have to follow their words. It’s simply the way that society runs. The people in power say something, and those underneath them have to follow it.

 **Eli:** That doesn’t have to be the case… If something is happening that you don’t want to take part in, then you have the ability to leave it behind! You deserve to step back and leave if you don’t agree!

 **Cyrus:** Well, people do funny things when their lives are on the line. I’m sure that you would act like us if your life was in danger too.

 **Eli:** Well, in a way, my life is at risk. You’re threatening my livelihood with your attacks.

 **Cyrus:** If we’re going to fight for our ideals, then fine! Let’s just get this over with. I hate just standing around and waiting.

_If anyone else initiates combat with Cyrus, the following dialogue plays out._

**Cyrus:** I don’t want to be doing this, and I can tell that you don’t want to either… Let’s get it out of the way then. That’ll make it easier on us all.

_When Cyrus is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Cyrus:** Ugh… I feel awful… At least the fight seems to be drawing to a close at last…

_After the battle, You stand alongside your students before Druilla and Cyrus. The two are clearly weakened from the battle, but they are still alive and seem to have the strength to fight. Despite this, they are holding back, seemingly not wanting to fight against You any longer._

**Druilla:** It seems that we’ve run out of options… If you won’t give us the Chalice, then we’ll have to resort to other methods… Going back there without it would be like asking for them to murder us, so… We’ll do whatever we have to in order to survive.

_Druilla rises to her feet and raises her arm, casting a spell of dark magic. You realize belatedly that this is a familiar wave of dark gas that can steal the consciousness from those who inhale it. You try to exclaim this to your companions, but You can already tell that You are too late in warning them about the danger of the attack._

**Cyrus:** Ha! I hope that you like this! You insisted on fighting us, so you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your actions!

 **Druilla:** I truly am sorry that it came to this, but… There were no other options. Do forgive me for taking such a drastic step… They need the Chalice, and we need to keep our lives.

_Your consciousness slowly begins to fade, and You can feel your body crumpling into the grass. Your eyes slowly shut despite your mind screaming at You to stay awake. You can vaguely hear Seraphine crying out for You in the back of your mind, but her words are impossible to distinguish given the haze that has settled over You. Unable to fight back anymore, your senses fade to nothingness, and You see nothing but darkness…_

_Some time passes before You awaken again, and You slowly rise to your feet._

**Seraphine:** Ugh… My head hurts so bad… That was awful…

_You glance around to see if your students are alright._

**Raithius:** Well, that sucked… I don’t know where that gas came from, but I hate that we had to deal with it.

 **Magnolia:** It wouldn’t be the first time that we had to deal with it, but… I’m glad that we’re still alive.

 **Sofia:** They could have easily killed us, but they didn’t do that… I suppose that they were honest about not wanting to fight us.

 **Illona:** We can think about that a little later on… Is it just me, or did our group get a lot smaller while we were unconscious?

 **Tuncay:** It isn’t just you. Look around. Half of the Ashen Wolves are gone. I don’t know why, but they were taken…

 **Chris:** Wait, I get it! They were the four with the Crests of the Four Apostles! The Chalice is gone too since Ernst was holding onto it…

 **Ansel:** We have to go after them then! They must have had a reason for wanting the Chalice, and I doubt it’s a good one.

 **Tsubasa:** I guess we’ve figured out why they were sucking us in… They were aiming to use us to bring the Chalice right to them.

 **Quinn:** Why are we still standing around here? We have to go and make sure that Eli and the rest of them are safe.

 **Saias:** I don’t know what’s going on with them, but it must be bad… The Rite of Rising is undoubtedly what they were aiming for.

 **Gabriel:** If they are planning on bringing somebody back from the dead, we had better stop them before it gets too far along.

 **Taiyin:** The Rite of Rising requires spilling blood too… If we don’t hurry, they might not even survive!

 **Raithius:** If that’s the case, let’s hurry it up! We can’t afford to wait for too much longer!

 **Magnolia:** They have to be in that building over there… It’s a shame we couldn’t get there sooner, but we’ll make things right now!

 **Chris:** Exactly. They’re counting on us, and we can’t let them down now that we’ve come this far. Let’s do it!

_You see everyone start to dash off towards the building. You follow them, worried about what could be in store for You. Deep down, You feel awful that people are likely getting hurt because You were unable to protect the Ashen Wolves, and You vow to do what You can to save them._

**Seraphine:** We’ll do what we have to in order to save them… It seems the mysteries of the Chalice are about to be laid out for us. I just hope that we’re ready to see what’s coming.

_You nod and continue running. You do not know what is coming, but You are going to do what You must in order to face it and save the Ashen Wolves…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typing would be easier if I actually had an attention span
> 
> -Digital


	14. Chapter Eight: Void of the Hellish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You arrive to rescue the kidnapped Ashen Wolves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Fixed an issue with boss conversations not appearing properly.

_You finally arrive at the building alongside your companions. None of your comrades say a word, and You use your sword to pry the door open when You find that it is locked. You look around once the door is open, seeing that there is only one room inside of the building. It is an open space with a variety of enemies, and You try to find familiar faces among them. Eventually, You see the Chalice resting atop an altar at the back of the room, and a body is stretched out on the ground before it. You look to the four corners of the room and see the Ashen Wolves. All of them are tied up, and there is a large amount of blood coming from each of them._

**Chris:** Oh, that smell… It looks like they’re already acting out the Rite of Rising!

 **Magnolia:** In that case, we’ll just have to stop it before it can be completed!

 **Raithius:** It seems that they were able to do what we were hoping wouldn’t happen…

 **Tuncay:** I don’t see the two enemy generals from the previous fight. They must have gone missing after kidnapping the four Ashen Wolves they needed for the rite.

 **Sofia:** They might not be here, but I see someone far more important. Look at the back of the room. If I had to guess, I would say that they’re the leader of this group.

 **Illona:** I doubt anyone aside from the leader would be allowed to get that close to the Chalice without consequences…

_You look to the leader with a frown on your face. It is a man with white hair tied into a low ponytail reaching his waist and very pale skin. His eyes are as black as the night itself. He wears dark robes that swallow his body completely._

**Anaxa:** The Chalice… It won’t take long for the blood of the Four Apostles to fill it completely, and when it does… Everything will change…

 **Eli:** P-Professor…!

 **Ernst:** You came for us…

 **Grey:** Would you mind helping us out of here?

 **Magnus:** This is far from convenient…

 **Saias:** We have to free them before we go after their leader.

 **Taiyin:** Who the hell do you think you are, doing all of this for your own selfish gain?!

 **Anaxa:** You may call me Anaxa. That is all that you need to know… After all, nothing will matter once the Rite of Rising is complete!

 **Gabriel:** It appears that he is being given power the longer that the Rite of Rising goes on…

 **Ansel:** If we stop the rite from happening, then he won’t be fueled anymore, and we can kill him once and for all.

 **Tsubasa:** Alright. Sounds like a plan to me. I’m ready to get rid of him whenever the rest of you are.

 **Quinn:** They will all pay for the suffering they have caused. That much is a promise.

_You order your companions to battle, and You begin to fight not long after. You look over to where Eli, Ernst, Grey, and Magnus are positioned around the room. You can see vortices of red near them, and You assume that it is blood. Had You not been used to the sight of crimson already, You know that You would have felt sick at the sight._

**Eli:** This vortex… I think it’s feeding him power!

 **Ernst:** The person that he wants to resurrect… I’ve seen pictures of him throughout history.

 **Magnus:** It’s the one and only Nemesis, the King of Liberation.

 **Grey:** I don’t know what they could possibly have to gain from bringing him back, but they seem set on reviving him.

 **Eli:** If we can stop these vortexes from growing any stronger, we should be able to stop the Rite of Rising. Plus, it’ll stop giving Anaxa power.

 **Ernst:** I don’t know what will happen if the rite does succeed, but I have a sneaking suspicion that none of us are going to like it.

 **Grey:** The rite is already much further along than is convenient for us, so you must act as quickly as possible.

 **Magnus:** You won’t be able to harm him while the Chalice is feeding him power. The arcane energy of the strengthened Chalice is too much for us to overcome. Be careful.

_You nod and continue to fight, working your way toward the members of the Ashen Wolves. The enemies are strong, but the desperation and fear of your forces is enough to press on through your foes. Eventually, You grow closer to where Grey is positioned, and You close the vortex near him._

**Grey:** Thanks for that… Ugh, I’m glad that thing is gone. It was certainly frustrating to deal with.

 **Anaxa:** What are you doing? Stop this at once! Step away from the vortex immediately!

_Soon afterwards, You approach the next person tied to a vortex of blood: Magnus. You manage to fill it as well, and the power of the Chalice is drained once again._

**Magnus:** Thank you for your assistance. Time to defeat these aggravating foes once and for all.

 **Anaxa:** Quit covering those vortices! You will pay for what you have done!

_You work your way towards the third vortex of blood, and it is the one connected to Ernst. You cover this vortex next, draining the magic that is fueling Anaxa and the Chalice._

**Ernst:** I appreciate this immensely. Now that we’ve filled this vortex, it’s time to get rid of their leader!

 **Anaxa:** You will not succeed no matter what you do! I will find a way to destroy you!

_Finally, You approach the fourth person tied to a vortex of blood. You close to the vortex that is connected to Eli._

**Eli:** Thank you so much for this! I’ll be sure to pay you back by helping you win the battle!

 **Anaxa:** You are making a huge mistake! You will pay for your interference with your lives, and I am happy to be the one to take them from you!

_You turn your sights to Anaxa next._

**Chris:** Now that the vortices have been taken care of, it’s time for us to get rid of him once and for all!

 **Magnolia:** He’s caused more than enough trouble, and the rite has successfully been halted. Let’s make sure that it doesn’t continue or happen again in the future!

 **Raithius:** That sounds like a perfect option to me. I’ll certainly be looking forward to punching this guy until he’s black and blue!

_If You initiate combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Anaxa:** If you had been smart, you would not have interfered… The Liberation King will rise once again no matter what you do here today! We will find our victory regardless of the circumstances!

_If Eli initiates combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** You’ve gone mad with power!

 **Anaxa:** I have done only what I have had to in order to see my goals fulfilled.

 **Eli:** Still, willing to sacrifice innocent lives for those goals… I will never understand how you can do such a thing.

 **Anaxa:** You don’t need to understand it. All you need to do is die!

_If Ernst initiates combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Ernst:** The power of the Chalice is becoming too much for you. If you keep on for much longer as you are, this is bound to end horribly.

 **Anaxa:** You have no right to tell me what to do. Now, step aside if you wish to keep your life!

 **Ernst:** You aren’t going to let me live regardless… Let’s finish this.

_If Grey initiates combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Grey:** You’re a real pain, you know that?

 **Anaxa:** I am doing what I have to for the sake of my people… We have a shared goal, and I cannot let them down when we are so close to success!

 **Grey:** You’ve gone crazy with power… If death is the only thing that will save you from this, then I’m happy to bring it to you.

_If Magnus initiates combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Magnus:** Honestly, the audacity! You seriously think that you can attack Abyss, go after people, kidnap me, and still get away with it?

 **Anaxa:** Do not assume you understand our methods!

 **Magnus:** You frustrate me immensely… Fine. If that’s the way you want to be, you’ll see my unparalleled magical might just before your life comes to a close!

_If anyone else initiates combat with Anaxa, this dialogue plays out._

**Anaxa:** This should have been simple. You were not meant to find us and get in the way of our schemes, but if you insist on bothering us, then we will get rid of you!

_When Anaxa is defeated, this dialogue plays out._

**Anaxa:** You may believe that you have won for now, but… It is too late! The Chalice is full, and it is time for our true target to return to the land of the living!

_After the battle, your forces stand around Anaxa, who is slumped on the ground._

**Eli:** You said that it’s too late… You can’t be serious, right?

 **Anaxa:** The Chalice is full… He will return to us…!

_Suddenly, a scream tears from Anaxa’s mouth, and he is dragged backwards by an unknown force. He claws at the ground, and your students take a step back. A few seconds later, an inhuman cry rips through the air, and You stare upwards. A large black shape has formed, starting from where the Chalice and Nemesis’ body were located. You call for your students to retreat, and they run away from the scene. When You are far enough away, You turn back around, and You see that the black shape has mutated into something larger._

**Ernst:** What is that thing…?!

 **Grey:** I don’t know, but it looks like something straight from hell!

 **Saias:** I don’t even know how I would describe it… But it’s terrifying.

 **Taiyin:** That thing swallowed up Anaxa, that corpse, and the Chalice! I don’t think that was supposed to happen!

 **Magnus:** It seems we’ve found the real reason that the Chalice was locked away… If it could spawn monsters like this, taking lives in the process…

 **Gabriel:** Wait a moment… Taking lives? That’s genius!

 **Ansel:** How exactly is that genius when the thing is about to kill us?!

 **Tsubasa:** I get it… Saint Seiros and the Four Saints died a few days after the Rite of Rising…

 **Quinn:** The Demonic Beast that spawned killed them.

 **Chris:** No way… But it makes sense that the Sword of Seiros was sealed away with the Chalice… Her life was taken by the monster that spawned because of it!

 **Magnolia:** As much as I hate to say it, that makes too much sense… The Chalice of Beginnings doesn’t resurrect the dead at all.

 **Sofia:** It’s said that the spirit of the goddess can be found everywhere since she has omnipotent power… In trying to bring back another living creature, the Chalice’s power backfired and swallowed the one performing the rite as well as the one that was nearly resurrected.

 **Illona:** The Four Apostles were divided to keep this from happening again many years ago. They left the continent to ensure the safety of everyone, because if they were united once again…

 **Tuncay:** We’ll just have to defeat this monstrosity then! Afterwards, we really need to get rid of the Chalice, because that thing does not look like it’s going to go down easily!

 **Raithius:** I’m inclined to agree… Get ready, everyone! This is going to be our most difficult battle yet!

_You prepare yourself for the coming battle, your grip on your sword tightening. Seraphine speaks in your head._

**Seraphine:** This should be the end… If their leader died when he was swallowed by that thing, this is it… Kill that beast and get the Chalice back! That’s our only option!

_You nod and prepare yourself for the coming battle, fearing what might be coming next but knowing that You must brave it regardless…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative is at half a million words and part one isn't even over that is astounding to me
> 
> -Digital


	15. Endgame: The Risen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your forces put a stop to the beast the Chalice formed.

_You stare up at the large Demonic Beast that was created by the Chalice, Anaxa, and the corpse of Nemesis. You are not sure of what else You can do aside from fight, and the rest of your comrades seem to agree. You all begin to attack it with everything that You have, though it is clear that the Demonic Beast will not be falling easily. Still, You persist._

_After You remove a quarter of the monster’s health, the following dialogue plays out._

**Eli:** It looks like we’re starting to make some progress…

 **Saias:** We should continue on as we are.

 **Taiyin:** I didn’t expect this thing to be so difficult to defeat…

 **Ansel:** Given its size, I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised…

_After You remove a second quarter of the monster’s health, the following dialogue plays out._

**Quinn:** There’s a bit more.

 **Grey:** It’s starting to get weaker.

 **Illona:** Who knew that this thing had so much power…?

 **Magnolia:** I know, right? I mean, we can see that it’s huge, but… Still…

_After You remove a third quarter of the monster’s health, the following dialogue plays out._

**Raithius:** I think it’s getting closer to finally coming down!

 **Chris:** I hope that you’re right… Fighting this thing is starting to wear me down…

 **Tsubasa:** It can’t take all of these hits. We have to be weakening it.

 **Gabriel:** I’m sure we are, but how much longer will it take to topple?

_After You remove the final quarter of the monster’s health, the following dialogue plays out._

**Sofia:** Is… Is that it?

 **Tuncay:** I think it’s finally been defeated…!

 **Ernst:** At long last…

 **Magnus:** Took it long enough…

_The Demonic Beast begins to change shape once again, and You instinctively grip your sword a bit tighter in preparation of more fighting. However, the beast begins to shrink, and the black energy gives way to show the corpses of Nemesis and Anaxa, both horribly mutilated. The Chalice bounces on the floor before coming to a halt at your feet, and You slowly reach over to pick it up._

**Eli:** Finally… It’s all over…

 **Ernst:** I don’t see any other soldiers nearby… It seems that we really have done it.

 **Saias:** Who knew the Chalice was capable of all that…?

 **Taiyin:** Can we get rid of it now? I don’t want that thing in Abyss if it can turn people into monsters!

 **Gabriel:** I’m inclined to agree. I’m sure Lady Aisa can keep it safe.

 **Grey:** Plus, it’ll keep us safe from being abducted again if people want the Chalice.

 **Magnus:** I just wish I could make them pay again for having the audacity to take us in the first place.

 **Quinn:** For now, let’s get back to the monastery. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we already have.

 **Ansel:** I’m sure the knights can clean this place up later.

 **Tsubasa:** Getting the Chalice back to the church is our first priority. Everything else can wait until after that demonic cup is gone.

_You nod your agreement, tucking the Chalice away before turning your sights towards the door. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** The power of the Chalice was a lie from the start… It can resurrect the dead, in a twisted way, but it leaves them to suffer in what little remains of their original selves. That’s incredibly horrible… I don’t know what else to call it.

_You say that it was misleading from the beginning._

**Seraphine:** Yes… I doubt that our enemies knew that this would happen. After all, if they were aware of the risks of the rite failing, they wouldn’t have taken such a large gamble. I know now that I don’t want to be around that thing for even a few minutes longer if it’s capable of all that… 

_You tell her that You feel the same._

**Seraphine:** Luckily, we probably won’t need to be… The sooner that we hand it over to Lady Aisa, the better.

_You nod._

**Seraphine:** All of that dark energy that we felt makes sense now… Plus, there’s the matter of the Sword of Seiros. I’m sure that Lady Aisa will be happy to explain all of that to us when we finally get back to the monastery. If she’s going to take the Chalice off our hands, I bet she’ll have a few words about it regarding the history of it.

_You tell her that You hope that is the case._

**Seraphine:** Until then, stay safe, alright? We can’t fail after we came this far and won the final battle.

_You nod as Seraphine disappears._

_The rest of the walk back to the monastery seems slow and agonizing. However, You do eventually arrive, and You lead your students and the Ashen Wolves up to the room where Aisa and Roy are regularly located on the second floor. Sure enough, they are both there, and relief floods their faces as they see You._

**Roy:** I’m so glad to see that you’re alright!

 **Aisa:** Where did you go? You have been missing for days!

_You explain what happened to You and your students over the course of the previous few days._

**Roy:** You went to Abyss?

 **Aisa:** And… You found the Chalice of Beginnings?

_You nod before handing her the Chalice and finishing your explanation of what happened._

**Aisa:** It is truly a relief that you are all safe… The Chalice is capable of horrible things.

 **Magnolia:** We saw that firsthand… The Chalice swallowed people and turned them into a monster.

 **Raithius:** We never would have defeated it without the help of the Ashen Wolves.

 **Aisa:** I see…

 **Roy:** What are we going to do with the Chalice now, Lady Aisa? We can’t just put it back where it was.

 **Eli:** That would just put all the people of Abyss in danger…

 **Aisa:** I will find a new place to keep it… You went through a lot of trouble to keep this safe. I thank you for what you did.

 **Chris:** We just did what anyone in our position would have done. We couldn’t just leave people behind to suffer when there was something we could do to help.

 **Roy:** We must thank you all for what you did… If the Chalice had fallen into the wrong hands sooner, or if that Demonic Beast hadn’t been stopped, who knows what would have happened?

 **Aisa:** You did so much to keep it out of the wrong hands… I believe you deserve an explanation regarding what the Chalice actually is.

_You look to your students briefly before nodding._

**Aisa:** The Chalice of Beginnings was made by the previous leader of the Seiros faith: Saint Seiros herself. The goddess was slain many years prior, but she longed to bring the goddess back to the land of the living. In theory, the Chalice would activate when it was filled with the blood of the Four Apostles, four chosen Crest-bearers with immense innate power.

 **Eli:** Those four Crests wound up in Abyss recently, and that allowed the rite to be completed…

 **Aisa:** The Rite of Rising would only work if the goddess was to be resurrected since her spirit is found everywhere. For mere mortals, when death comes, that is it. There is no coming back. However, the goddess was different entirely… At least, in theory. When the rite was performed, it failed, and Saint Seiros and the Four Saints all died in the aftermath of battle to defeat the beast. The monster was eventually slain, but all five of them succumbed to their injuries a short few days later.

 **Chris:** The Sword of Seiros was used in the battle, and when it was time to hide the Chalice, the sword was hidden with it since Saint Seiros was no longer alive to wield it…

 **Aisa:** That is correct… The Chalice had to be hidden to keep others from trying to find it. The Four Apostles left the continent entirely to prevent the rite as well, but… Somehow, it took place once again. I have no idea why these people would want to bring back Nemesis, but… I must thank you for resolving the issue before it could grow worse. If that beast had been allowed to roam freely, it surely would have caused many issues.

 **Magnolia:** Now that it’s all been taken care of, what do you intend to do with the Chalice?

 **Roy:** We’ll have to hide it once again. We simply can’t let anyone get their hands on it like what happened here today. The risks would be far too high.

 **Aisa:** Roy and I must attend to such business. In the meantime, you can discuss what your plans are from here on out. I understand that there must be a lot to talk about.

_You watch as Aisa and Roy leave the room. You slowly turn to the rest of your party, and You ask the Ashen Wolves what they plan to do now that this issue has been resolved at long last._

**Eli:** Honestly… I don’t know about everyone else, but I want to try and reach out to get along better with people up here. We haven’t gotten the chance to interact with those above the surface in so long, and… I know for sure that I would love to do something like that.

 **Ernst:** Think about the benefits of us reaching out to the people who live here at the monastery… I think that it would be best for both sides.

 **Saias:** It’s not like Abyss is going anywhere, and I’m sure that we might get more visitors now that you stumbled upon the place…

 **Magnus:** Maybe I’ll find someone worthy of my high intellect up here on the surface. Such would surprise me given how much of a genius I am, but I’m sure that you can understand that I am at least trying to reach out.

 **Taiyin:** You know… Maybe we could become an actual house. I mean, we aren’t part of the Officers Academy, but… Perhaps we could make the Ashen Wolves into something similar.

 **Grey:** That would be possible… You know, if the professor would be willing to help us out… That would be okay with you, right? You’ve done so much for us already in these past few days.

 **Ansel:** I seem to recall that I’m the real professor of this class! Maybe you should stop and ask me what I think of the matter.

 **Gabriel:** We know that you like the newcomers just as much as the rest of us. You would have chased them off by now if that wasn’t the case.

 **Tsubasa:** I’m sure the people of Abyss would be happy to see you down there every once in a while. I don’t know why they would object to having visitors come to see us given that you saved us from destruction.

 **Quinn:** Of course, the choice is yours at the end of the day, Professor… Don’t let us pressure you into anything.

_You smile and tell them that You would be happy to teach them if they truly wished for it._

**Eli:** That’s great to hear! It seems that your teaching assistant job runs a bit deeper than one might expect at a first glance. We’re happy to have you.

 **Ernst:** We’re all looking forward to seeing you more in the future, but… I don’t think we can stay for much longer.

 **Grey:** Yeah. The people of Abyss are undoubtedly waiting for us. I’m sure they’re wondering where we disappeared to.

 **Saias:** It seems as if everything has been taken care of here, so… We should be heading back there. Still, we’ll be waiting until we can see you again.

 **Magnus:** Try not to get involved with any other schemes to resurrect the dead, will you? I don’t think that we can take that again.

 **Gabriel:** Yeah. Plus, I’d rather not see people come close to death. I’ve had more than enough of that these past few days with all this messiness.

 **Taiyin:** We’re going to take care of everyone down in Abyss for now, but… I hope that things go back to normal for you as well. If you need anything, all you need to do is ask.

 **Tsubasa:** It’s the least we can do for all of you given how much you did to help us keep the place safe. It’s a small price to pay.

 **Quinn:** We wish the best for you. Should you require reinforcements, we will supply them, and we hope that you will do the same for us.

 **Ansel:** Alright, Ashen Wolves! We have to go and restore our home after battles ravaged its pure surface. The people of Abyss are waiting for us, and we had best not keep them waiting!

_Ansel leaves, and the rest of the Ashen Wolves trail after them. Once the group disappears, You turn to your students._

**Raithius:** Overall, I’d say that we did good today… Well, the past few days. It’s been a while since we were back up here in the monastery.

 **Illona:** I’m just glad that we were able to take care of that without any extra issues… I mean, the failed resurrection of a war criminal is pretty bad, especially given that it nearly killed a bunch of people, but you know what I mean.

 **Tuncay:** I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it could have been worse somehow, so we can be thankful that this didn’t go completely into hell.

 **Sofia:** Maybe life can go back to normal for us now. I mean, we were thinking about letting them go back to how things were before, but we didn’t ever think about that for ourselves.

 **Magnolia:** We certainly deserve a rest before this month’s mission. I can’t wait to go back to my room. As much as I loved Abyss, there really is no place quite like your own bed.

 **Chris:** Wait, I just realized… Lady Aisa left with the Chalice, but she didn’t take the Sword of Seiros with her… Are we supposed to keep it?

 **Raithius:** I don’t see why not. We were the ones who dug it up, after all. Since you’ve been holding onto it up to this point, you should decide what happens with it.

 **Chris:** Alright… Professor, I want you to have it. I don’t think I’m that great at using it anyways, so I’ll let you see what you think.

_You thank her for such before taking the sword out of her hands._

**Magnolia:** Well, let’s get back to the Officers Academy… I bet everyone is wondering where we disappeared to. It’s not every day people just go missing like that out of the blue.

 **Illona:** I imagine a few people are freaking out for sure… I mean, all three house leaders disappearing at once? That sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 **Tuncay:** Wait until they hear where we all were. That’s certainly going to be a tale for the ages.

 **Sofia:** In that case, let’s get to it. Maybe I can woo a few girls with my tales of dashing bravery…

_You watch as your students leave the room, and You smile fondly at their retreating backs. Seraphine appears beside You._

**Seraphine:** Well, didn’t you get yourself into a lot of trouble these past few days? I say that, but… I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have fun getting to know the Ashen Wolves and the residents of Abyss. Even if we had to do a lot of fighting for our lives, at least it all worked out in the end.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** Plus, you can go down there whenever you want! The Ashen Wolves even offered to be backup if we ever need them in a fight. I must say that I’m happy to have that extra reassurance going forward. I think that I’m going to enjoy seeing them in the future.

_You say that You feel the same._

**Seraphine:** It’s like you have another class that you can choose to teach! Well, not exactly, as you’re still meant to be helping out the classes of the Officers Academy that are considered official classes, but… Oh, you know what I mean. We can go and see them whenever, and I’m sure that they’d be happy to come up to the surface every once in a while if you were teaching them. Given how much they seem to like you and everyone else, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them up here again.

_You agree._

**Seraphine:** I’m proud of you for what you did these past few days. It’s been chaotic, but you came out strong on the other side… Now, how about we go and enjoy ourselves back in our room? After all, we deserve a rest just as much as everyone else!

_You smile lightly and nod, but your gaze falls to the Sword of Seiros._

**Seraphine:** You had better look after that thing, alright? It’s an ancient relic used by a sacred figure from history. I think that you’re more than worthy of taking care of it, but it’s better to be safe rather than sorry, you know? Now, go rest. This is the least you deserve after all that.

_You nod once again closing your eyes as You take your first step towards the door. Seraphine disappears, and You think back to all that has happened as of late. You have gone through a lot in the past few days, but You are happy to have come out of it on the other side and stronger than before. You are sure that You will see the people of Abyss again, and it is only a matter of time before they are called upon once again to aid You. Until that time comes, You tell yourself that You will be waiting in excited anticipation. You have endured the path of cindered shadows, and You could not be prouder of yourself and your students._

**CINDERED SHADOWS**

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we have the end of Cindered Shadows!
> 
> I'm going to be focusing on supports and Goddess Tower conversations from here on out, and the paralogues for the Ashen Wolves will be up within the next three weeks or so. We're getting closer to being done with all the content for one, and this was the first step. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> -Digital

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoying my work? If you wish to receive updates on when I post new content, feel free to check out my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/__digitaldreams)  
> or [Discord server.](https://discord.gg/9MBReeF)  
> I occasionally post previews of upcoming stories on both, and there are discussion chats for my series on Discord. Any sharing of my content or other interaction (kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc.) is greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading, and I hope you're liking it so far!


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